Disappearing Act
by MegTDJ
Summary: Daniel seems to disappear into thin air during an offworld mission. When he is finally found weeks later, he seems to be in shock and won’t say a word about what happened to him. Then he begins to change... DanJan COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Title: Disappearing Act  
Author: MegTDJ  
Category: Angst/drama; hurt/comfort; romance  
Rating: M (Mature)  
Pairing: Daniel/Janet established relationship  
Spoilers: Set in mid-season 5, but nothing that happens from here on has any base in canon.  
Warnings: Violence, mature subject matter  
Summary: Daniel seems to disappear into thin air during an off-world mission. When he is finally found weeks later, he seems to be in shock and won't say a word about what happened to him. Then he begins to change...  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1, its universe and its characters are not mine. The story itself is, however, so please don't archive without my permission.

Author's notes: Many, many thanks to Kerri, Misty, Julie, Isabelle, Chrysa, and all the rest of you Gateview gals. You're the best!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

**Disappearing Act**

**Chapter 1**

"Good morning, Sunshine."

Daniel groaned and buried his face even deeper into his pillow. "It can't be morning already."

"'Fraid so. Rise and shine."

He tried to ignore her, but he felt a sharp elbow in his back and grunted again.

"Come on, Daniel. You've got a busy day ahead of you."

"I don't want a busy day," Daniel whined, turning over to face her without opening his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled his face into her neck. "I want a Janet day."

Janet laughed. "You've had plenty of those lately."

"Just one more?"

"No. Honeymoon's over, time to get back to work."

"Honeymoons should never be over. At least not for a year or two."

Janet laughed again and ran her fingers through his hair. "Be serious, Daniel," she said. "We've had over a week to ourselves. We'd be selfish to want any more."

Daniel sighed. He knew she was right, but he didn't have to admit it. In the ten days since their wedding, he'd felt more at peace than he ever remembered feeling in his life. He didn't want to let go of that just yet. "I wish the world would disappear," he said, lifting his head and opening his eyes just a crack so he could find her lips. Once they'd been located, he kissed her, intending to make it long and deep.

Unfortunately, Janet backed away from him and pressed her fingers to his lips. "Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Morning breath, sweetheart."

Daniel moaned and rolled over onto his back. "Figures," he said. "I can't even have one last honeymoon kiss."

"You can have one as soon as you've brushed your teeth," Janet offered.

Daniel sighed. "But once we're out of bed, that's it," he said. "Honeymoon over. Real life begun."

Janet laughed. "You're crazy, Daniel," she said in that affectionate tone that did drive him crazy. She leaned down to nibble lightly on his ear.

"Ohh, that's nice," Daniel said as a slow grin spread across his face.

"Good enough?" she murmured mid-nibble.

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Good." She patted him on the chest and sat up. "Now you can get up." Before he had a chance to argue, she slipped out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom.

"Sneaky. Very sneaky," Daniel called after her.

She turned to give him a saucy wave before she disappeared from view.

Daniel smiled and shook his head. Ten days into their marriage, he was already wrapped around her little finger. He wouldn't have it any other way.

With another heavy sigh, he dragged himself out of bed and joined Janet in the bathroom. They hurried through their morning showers - separately, per Janet's order - and other ablutions, and soon Daniel was making his way down the stairs for breakfast.

Cassie was already in the kitchen, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

"Morning, Cassie," Daniel greeted her.

"Morning. Is Mom up?"

"Yeah, she'll be down in a minute." Daniel watched the girl out of the corner of his eye as he took some bread and put it in the toaster. She'd been staying with Sam since the wedding, and had just returned the night before. Daniel hadn't even seen her after she'd come home, as she'd run straight up to her room and shut herself in for the night. He was starting to worry a little that she wasn't as okay with this marriage as she'd originally claimed to be.

He couldn't really blame her if she did have a problem with it, though. She was, after all, sixteen years old, and had been used to having her mother all to herself ever since Janet had adopted her four years earlier. To suddenly have a man about the house would be quite an adjustment for her.

After a few moments, he turned and leaned back against the counter. "Can we talk for a sec?" he asked.

Cassie's movements froze, but she didn't look over at him. "Sure."

"I just... wanted to ask you... are you okay with this?"

"With what?" she asked, taking her cereal over to the table with an air of nonchalance.

Daniel winced. She wasn't going to make this easy. "With me being here," he said.

Cassie shrugged and sat down. "I'll adjust." She took a mouthful of her breakfast before Daniel could speak again, and opened a magazine.

Daniel took the hint and didn't try to press the issue.

Janet entered the room then anyway, and made her way straight over to Cassie. "Morning, honey," she said as she bent to kiss the top of the girl's head.

"Morning," Cassie said. "Are you giving me a ride to school?"

"Actually, I have to go right now. I was paged while I was upstairs." She turned puppy dog eyes onto Daniel and asked, "Would you be able to take her?"

Daniel's mouth opened in surprise at the sudden request, and before he had a chance to answer, Cassie dropped her spoon and got to her feet.

"That's okay," she said. "I'm ready now."

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I really have to go straight to the base," Janet said. She didn't seem to notice the glare her daughter was sending Daniel's way as she picked up her purse and rooted around for her keys. "You have time to finish your breakfast."

Cassie plopped back down into her chair with an unintelligible mumble.

Janet smiled up at Daniel and took his hand, leading him out of the kitchen and over to the door. "Now for that kiss I promised you," she said quietly.

Cassie's attitude disappeared from his mind as Janet wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long, sweet kiss. She'd been right - it was much nicer now that they'd brushed their teeth.

It took a few moments after they'd parted for Daniel's mind to return to working order, so Janet was almost out the door before he grabbed her arm. "Wait," he said, lowering his voice to almost a whisper. "I don't think she really wants to go with me."

Janet gave him an odd look. "What makes you say that?"

He shrugged, not knowing how to say it without sounding paranoid. "She just... I think she's having a bigger problem with us than she's been letting on."

Her expression changed to one of sympathy in a heartbeat, and she reached a hand up to touch his cheek. "She'll adjust."

"Yeah, that's what she said." What he didn't add was that he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to deal with the grief she might throw at them in the meantime.

"Then don't worry about it." She got up onto her tiptoes and kissed his face. "See you later, Cassie!" she called.

There was no answer from the kitchen.

Daniel gave Janet a pitiable look, but she just put on her no-nonsense air and opened the door. "Come see me before you go off-world, okay?" she said.

He nodded. "I'll see you soon."

Once Janet was gone, Daniel turned to go back into the kitchen and practically bumped right into Cassie in the doorway.

"Are you ready to go yet?" she asked.

Daniel couldn't believe the hard look she had on her face. "Um... yeah, almost. Just give me a second to grab my stuff."

"Okay. I'll wait in the car."

She took her books from the table in the hall and had disappeared out the door in less than three seconds. That didn't exactly make him feel any better.

Daniel quickly grabbed the toast that had already popped and started wolfing it down as he jogged up the stairs and grabbed his things. He was jogging down again before he remembered that he was still wearing his wedding ring. "Gotta get used to this," he muttered as he jogged back up the stairs and took it off, carefully placing it in Janet's jewellery box. He hurried back down the stairs then, careful to pick up his keys and lock the door before he left the house.

Sure enough, Cassie was waiting for him in the car... in the backseat. He definitely had a bad feeling about this.

Daniel took a deep breath and stuffed the rest of the toast in his mouth before he entered the vehicle. After closing the door and fastening his seatbelt, he sat there looking back at her through the rear view mirror while he finished chewing. "Are you okay?" he finally asked when his mouth was empty.

"I'm fine," she said. "Are we going?"

"Yes, we are... as soon as you tell me what's bugging you."

Cassie sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

Daniel waited for her to speak, but she didn't. "Is it me?" he asked. "Because if it is, I'm willing to answer any questions you have about... whatever it is that's... bothering you."

A look passed over Cassie's face that made it seem as though she'd just tasted something awful. "It's just weird," she said.

"What is?"

"Having you here. And... you and mom... you know... doing it... right in the room next to mine. Do you know how that messes with a kid's head?"

Daniel could feel his face heating up, much to his further embarrassment. _'Oh God, not that,'_ he thought. He let out a slow breath and rubbed his hands together as he tried to think of what to say. "Oh," was all that came out.

"Can we go now?"

Daniel's mind was racing, trying to think of something meaningful to say that would set her mind at ease, but nothing came to him. "Yeah," he said regretfully, turning the key in the ignition and pulling the car out of the driveway.

Cassie didn't say a word on the drive until they got to the street her school was on. "Stop here," she suddenly commanded.

Daniel did as he was told, but he couldn't help but notice that the school was completely out of sight. "I think I'd feel better if I knew you got inside the building okay," he said as she gathered her things and opened the door.

"Then you can watch me walk. Bye, Daniel."

"Cassie?" Daniel called as she got out of the car.

She poked her head back inside. "What?"

"I... I love your mom very much," Daniel said. There was so much more that he wanted to say, about how he loved her, too, and wanted to become like a father to her. About how he understood her discomfort, and was willing to help her through it if she let him.

He never got the chance.

"Yeah, so I heard last night," she said. Then she slammed the door and took off down the street towards the high school.

Daniel was dumbfounded for a full minute after this revelation. He didn't even have presence of mind to be embarrassed. He was just... stunned. She'd heard them? They'd tried so hard to be quiet, but she'd heard them anyway? What kind of paper-thin walls did that house have?

"Oh God!" he groaned as it finally sank in. He buried his face in his hands and mumbled incoherently for a minute or so before he finally pulled himself together and felt able to drive away.

He definitely had to have a word with Janet about this before he left on his mission. This was something a kid's mother should talk through with her.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Janet had only been at the SGC for an hour or so, and already she wanted to go home.

It was just her luck that on her first day back after a blissful honeymoon, two SG teams would come home severely injured after a run in with the Goa'uld. The peace and quiet of the past few days were already starting to seem like a distant dream in the midst of this chaos.

Until she saw Daniel stroll through the door. One look at that handsome face and it was like she'd never left home at all that morning.

She sent a smile in his direction and passed what she was doing to one of her nurses so she could go over and talk to him. It wasn't until she came to stand right in front of him that she noticed that he seemed troubled about something. "Leaving already?" she asked.

Daniel nodded. "In about half an hour," he said. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something real quick, if you have a minute?"

Janet glanced over her shoulder at the hustle and bustle going on across the room. "I really can't step away for more than a second," she said regretfully. "Can it wait until tonight?"

"I guess so," he said. "But just in case I get held up or something... you really need to talk to Cassie as soon as you see her."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

Daniel shifted his weight from foot to foot and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Sort of," he said. "She just... she said something to me earlier that... I think she should talk to you about."

Janet was confused by his vagueness, but since she'd already been standing there too long as it was, she didn't ask for clarification. "Okay," she said. "I'll talk to her as soon as I get home." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Have a safe trip."

Daniel forced a smile and took one hand out of his pocket to squeeze her arm. "Thanks. I'll see you tonight."

"Dr. Fraiser, we need help over here!"

Janet shot Daniel an apologetic look before she hurried back to her duties. By the time she looked over at the doorway again, he was gone.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Honeymooner."

Jack grinned when his teasing made Daniel blush violently. He was too easy.

"Not anymore," Daniel said, adjusting his gear as he joined Jack at the base of the ramp. "Honeymoon's over. Time to get back to work."

"Anxious to get away from the old lady already?" Jack asked.

Daniel's eyes opened wide in surprise. "No... no, you know that's not what I meant," he stammered.

Jack chuckled and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Relax, Daniel. I'm just messing with your head."

"Yes, something that seems to bring you great joy," Daniel said. He sounded pissed.

Jack smirked in triumph.

Carter and Teal'c wandered into the gateroom then, so Jack motioned to the technician in the control room to dial the gate. "Everybody ready to ship out?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Indeed."

"I guess so."

"Good." Jack glanced over at Daniel as the chevrons began to lock one by one. He seemed to be sulking about something. Or just lost in thought. Jack was never sure which it was at first. "Daniel?"

Daniel shifted his eyes to look over at him. "Yeah?"

"Problem?"

"No, why do you ask?"

Jack shrugged and turned his gaze back onto the gate. "No reason."

Daniel sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Just... family issues," he said.

Jack couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for his light-hearted ribbing earlier. Was Daniel and Fraiser's relationship on the rocks already? They'd seemed so happy a few days ago. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to another and sighed again. "It's just... Cassie," he said. "It'll be fine. She'll adjust."

Jack gave a wise nod and chose to remain silent. _'Saved by the kawhoosh,'_ he thought as the wormhole activated. As much as he wanted to help his friend out, he knew even less about teenaged girls than Daniel did. He had no doubt that Fraiser would step in and sort things out if something was wrong, though. "Off we go," he said, leading the way up the ramp.

The rest of his team were close behind.

P5C 991 was beautiful this time of year. Nothing but waist-high grass and chest-high bushes as far as the eye could see. Paradise.

Or hell, depending on how you looked at it.

"Watch your step, folks," Jack said as he narrowly avoided planting his boot directly in some kind of animal dung. "Looks like the folks here forgot their pooper scoopers."

"There _aren't_ any folks here, Jack."

"Then I guess that explains it," Jack said. "Okay, T, you and I'll go set up a perimeter, just in case whatever uses this particular area as its toilet decides it needs to take another dump anytime soon. Carter and Daniel, you..."

"Wow, look at the writing on this thing. I've never seen this language before."

"...check out the pedestal." He needn't have bothered saying a word, as Daniel was already crouched down before the little stone structure beside the Stargate, totally lost in his own little linguist world. The grass was so high all around it that as Jack started to walk away, Daniel and the pedestal couldn't even be seen. If it weren't for Carter standing next to it, watching what Daniel was doing, he wouldn't even have been able to tell where the thing was.

It didn't take Jack and Teal'c long to scout the area and make sure all was well, but by the time they got back to Carter and Daniel's position, Daniel was almost finished with his rubbings.

"So, what... you're not going to ask for more time to poke around at this thing?" Jack asked in wonder.

Daniel shook his head. "No, everything I need is in the writings on each side," he said. "I can work on the translations back at the base." He sent a sly look in Jack's direction and added, "Besides, what's the point? I know you'd just say no anyway."

"You never know," Jack argued. "I might surprise you."

"Right." Daniel rolled his eyes and got back to his rubbing.

Jack never understood how archaeologists had the patience to do stuff like that for hours at a time. Just watching him was tedious enough. After a minute or two he had to go off and pace around a bit just to keep from falling asleep on his feet.

Five minutes later, Daniel finally stood up, started packing up his stuff, and declared, "I'm done."

"You want to get back to her that badly, don't you?" Jack said knowingly.

Daniel tried to hide his grin, but failed miserably. "Maybe," he said as he closed his pack and stretched the kinks out of his back. "Or maybe I really do just want to get to work on these translations."

"Yeah. Sure." Jack turned to Carter then, and asked, "So, what about you, Carter? No reason for you to go all gaga over this thing?"

"No, Sir," she said. "I scanned it before I let Daniel anywhere near it, don't worry. There were no energy signatures of any kind."

"Good." It looked like this mission would go down as the easiest one of the year. "Dial us home, Teal'c."

Teal'c moved to obey, and Jack followed him over to the DHD as he began punching in Earth's address.

"Daniel?"

Carter's confused voice drew Jack's attention back over to the other two a second later.

Actually, make that the other _one_.

"What's the matter, Carter?" he called over to her.

"He... he was right here," she said. "Daniel?" She turned around, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of him.

Jack walked over to where he'd last seen Daniel and started doing the same. "Daniel? Where the hell'd you go?" he shouted.

"I just turned my back on him for a second to walk over to the gate," Carter said, starting to sound nervous. "When I turned around to see if he was following... he was just gone."

"Daniel!" Jack called louder.

No answer.

He sighed and took hold of his P-90. "Alright, let's fan out," he said. "Knowing Daniel, he's probably found a rabbit hole or something."

"O'Neill," Teal'c said almost before Jack had finished his sentence.

Jack turned to look in his direction and saw that Teal'c was lifting a pack up from amongst the long grass. "Is that..."

"It is Daniel Jackson's," Teal'c said, looking as anxious as Jack felt.

Jack rushed over to him and started searching the ground surrounding the spot. Nothing. No rabbit holes, hidden wells, quick sand, nothing.

He'd just vanished into thin air.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Disappeared! Th... that doesn't make any sense! How could he just disappear?"

Sam winced and chewed on her lip as she tried to figure out what to say. There was really nothing she could say that would make this any easier on her friend. The truth was, nobody knew how it had happened or where Daniel had gone. That wasn't something she really wanted to say to his anxious wife. "We... we're not sure," she said. "We think the pedestal we were studying must have been some kind of transportation device or... something. We have people on it right now."

"And where would he have been transported?" Janet asked.

Sam looked down at her hands. "We don't know."

Janet took a deep, shaky breath and seemed to be trying to keep herself calm. "Could that be what the writing says?" she asked.

Sam shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "We're really not sure _what_ the writing says," she admitted. "Daniel had never seen the language before, and neither has anyone else here at the SGC. We have our top linguists looking into it..."

"No, you don't," Janet said, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Daniel's our top linguist, and if he couldn't translate it..." She shook her head and raised a hand to her mouth, obviously not trusting her voice to say another word.

"We don't know that he couldn't have translated it," Sam said softly. "He didn't seem to think it was impossible." When she received no response from Janet, she leaned forward in her chair and laid her hand on her friend's arm. "Hey. We'll find him."

Janet nodded and took Sam's hand to give it a squeeze. "I know. I just hate not knowing where he is, or what he may be going through."

"I'm sure he's fine. He may have just been sent to another part of the planet or something. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are covering as much territory as they possibly can. Even if they don't find him right away, though, you know Daniel better than anyone. He's strong, and he knows what to do in situations like this. He'll be okay."

Janet nodded and forced a smile. "Thanks, Sam. I know you'll do everything you can to find him."

"You bet we will." Sam stood up from her seat and bent down to give Janet an encouraging hug. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back to work. I just wanted to be the one to tell you."

"I appreciate that," Janet said, though the look on her face told Sam that she would rather not have heard this news at all, no matter who had broken it to her.

With one last supportive smile and pat on the shoulder, Sam left Janet's office and headed straight for her lab. She had diagnostics to run and people to order around if they were ever going to find out what happened to Daniel.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet sighed when she caught herself checking her watch for the umpteenth time. Watching the clock wasn't going to make the hours pass any quicker.

Neither was pacing the infirmary.

She knew she should go home and break the news to Cassie, but ever since SG-1 had returned without Daniel hours earlier, some part of her had been expecting him to just reappear out of nowhere, give some logical explanation for where he'd been, and make everything all right again. She didn't want to make this whole situation real by telling Cassie. That would just be too painful.

Still, she couldn't just stand around in the infirmary for the next God knew how long, either. She had to find out whether Sam had figured out what had happened yet.

With that resolve in mind, she made her way out of the infirmary and over to the elevator. Just as she was inserting her key card, however, the off-world activation klaxons began to sound.

It was Daniel. It had to be Daniel.

Thankfully, no one else was on the elevator, so she took it straight down to Level 28, tapping her foot and wringing her hands in her anxiety. As soon as the doors opened again, she dashed out into the hallway, almost careening into a group of SF's along the way. She ran right up the steps into the control room and over to General Hammond, who was standing beside the gate technician on duty, hunched over slightly as he spoke into the microphone.

"Have you found anything, Major?" he was saying.

Janet's heart sank. Not Daniel.

"Not much, Sir," Sam's voice said through the radio. "We still haven't found any trace of where he might have gone, and... we've pretty much ruled out that the device, or whatever it is, is any kind of transporter. We're still examining it now, but I really think we're barking up the wrong tree, Sir. Daniel was at least two feet away from it when he disappeared."

"Then what tree _should_ we be barking up, Major?" Hammond asked, sounding more than a little impatient. "From what you've told me so far, we really don't have anything else to go on."

"I know, Sir. I really don't know what to say."

General Hammond sighed. "Do what you can, Major. Keep me apprised."

"Yes, Sir."

Janet stared at the gate in numb silence until it shut down and the control room went quiet. It seemed like everyone there was taking a moment to reflect on Daniel, and it warmed her heart when she looked around and saw the worried looks on their faces. At least she knew she could trust that these people would do everything in their power to bring him back.

"Is there something I can do for you, Doctor?"

Janet forced a smile for the general, though the kindness in his voice made her want to cry. "No, Sir, I'm alright," she said. "I... I think I'll go home now. Cassie will need me there when I tell her."

General Hammond nodded. "We'll call you as soon as we hear anything," he said.

Janet knew he would.

Now that her hopes for Daniel's quick return had pretty much been dashed, she figured there was nothing for her to do but go home. She really shouldn't leave it any longer, since Cassie would soon think that something had come up and head off to a friend's house for dinner. As much as she hated to do it, Janet knew that she should tell the girl what was going on as soon as possible. Cassie had often complained in the past that she was always kept in the dark when the people she loved were in danger. She deserved to know.

It didn't take her long to gather her things and sign out, so a surprisingly short time later, Janet was pulling into her driveway. It suddenly hit her then that Daniel's car was still at the base, and might stay there for quite a while. She didn't allow the thought that someone else might eventually have to bring it back to even enter her mind. Before she'd had a chance to dwell on it, she got out of the car, went straight up the front steps, and unlocked the door.

"Oh good, you're home," Cassie's voice greeted her as soon as she stepped inside the house. "I was starting to think an emergency had held you up or something."

This was it. Janet took a deep breath and steeled herself. "No, nothing like that," she said. "I, um... I need to tell you something, sweetheart. Why don't we go and sit down?"

Cassie's face fell as soon as the words were out of Janet's mouth. "That... sounds like bad news," she said, following Janet over to the living room couch.

Janet sighed as she sat down. "Yeah, it is," she admitted. "Or... it might be."

Cassie sank down next to her, her eyes wide but her expression calm and set as she prepared to face whatever she was about to hear. "Is it Daniel?" she asked in a small voice.

Janet nodded, looking down at her hands. "He... he disappeared while he was off-world today. They've been looking all day long, but... so far they've found no clue as to what happened to him."

Cassie seemed confused for a moment. "Disappeared as in... he wandered off and got lost somewhere?" she asked.

"No... disappeared as in one second he was there, and the next he was gone."

Cassie's face drained of all colour. "You mean... he was taken by somebody? By the Goa'uld or... something?"

"We don't know that," Janet said, laying her hand on Cassie's arm. She didn't know how she was supposed to reassure her on that point, though, since that was exactly what she had been fearing all along. "He could have just... activated something he shouldn't have. It's been known to happen before." She tried to force a smile, but Cassie didn't seem to be buying it.

"I... I hope he's okay," the girl said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper.

"I'm sure he will be."

Cassie nodded. "I, um... I have homework," she said. "I'll be in my room."

Before Janet could say another word, Cassie stood up and rushed out of the room.

Janet felt as though she should look into this, as Cassie seemed to be taking the news harder than she'd expected her to, but for the moment Janet was just grateful to be alone to think things over. She grabbed a cushion and hugged it tightly to her chest as she lay down on her side and curled up into a ball. She didn't cry. She didn't feel like crying. She didn't feel as though she needed to mourn, as she didn't believe that Daniel was dead. She just felt... numb. Like part of herself had been ripped away, and the rest was trying not to notice that it was gone.

Her eyes focused on their wedding photograph that was sitting on the shelf by the television. "Where are you, Daniel?"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Cassie didn't sleep a wink that night. How could she, knowing that Daniel might be dead or dying somewhere out there in the vastness of the galaxy where they may never find him?

Their last moments together hung over her like a dark cloud. She felt so guilty now over the way she'd treated him. She'd just been playing around, but what if he'd actually taken her seriously? What if he died thinking she hated him? God, her last words to him had even been a lie. She hadn't heard anything the night before. She'd said it to embarrass him, pure and simple. She hated herself for it now.

It was around 2am when she heard her mother get up out of bed and start wandering through the house. Cassie was concerned about her, but figured she didn't want her daughter following her around asking what was wrong. She was just missing Daniel.

And she wasn't the only one. Cassie didn't know how she made it through the next few days with her sanity still in tact, as it seemed that every five minutes, someone was stopping by to see if everything was okay, if she needed anything, if her mom needed anything... it was insane. Cassie almost welcomed the hours she spent in school every day. At least while she was in class, people left her alone.

Not that she blamed them for wanting to help. They were feeling just as hopeless as Cassie and her mom were. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c especially were taking Daniel's disappearance really hard. She figured that was because they were blaming themselves.

Still, did they have to keep coming around and asking if they were okay? They were fine. She was fine. She was just feeling more and more guilt as each day passed with no Daniel, that was all. Her mom was just starting to cry herself to sleep every night, that was all. Nothing to worry about. Nothing that wouldn't go away once Daniel came home.

And he would be coming home. With all that Daniel had been through and survived throughout his life, he wouldn't just vanish into thin air and be gone forever. That just wouldn't be fair.

Then again, nobody had ever said that the universe was fair. She just hoped it would give Daniel one more break. One more miracle.

For her mom's sake if nobody else's.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Janet felt absolutely drained. In the month since Daniel's disappearance, she had hardly slept at all on any given night, and it was starting to take its toll. She could barely even concentrate on her work anymore.

She noticed that the remaining members of SG-1 weren't faring much better. Colonel O'Neill seemed to always be a million miles away, even while she was having a conversation with him. Teal'c was even quieter than usual, and Sam kept herself locked away in her lab most of them time, trying to figure out what had happened to make Daniel vanish like that. Thus far, she'd had no luck.

They'd brought the device back from the planet, but as far as anyone could tell, it was just a lump of rock. They'd been reluctant to break it open, but routine scans had shown little of interest inside it anyway. The linguistics department were trying to decipher the inscriptions on each side of it, but they had no idea what language it was, and therefore had no way of knowing even the basic alphabet, let alone what the words meant. All they knew was that it was the same few phrases repeated over and over again. As Colonel O'Neill had said, the thing could just be a "don't walk on the grass" sign for all they knew.

She plodded up the steps leading to the briefing room, her feet feeling like lumps of lead attached to her ankles. Just one more briefing to get through and she would be done for the day. She couldn't wait to get home and have a long soak in the tub.

None of the members of SG-4 had arrived yet when she entered the room, so she set her report down on the table and walked over to the window overlooking the Stargate. Looking at it still gave her a slight pang of loss, as she had always associated the Stargate with Daniel ever since the first time she'd seen it. He'd been the one to unlock its secrets, after all, not to mention the fact that it was the same Stargate that he'd stepped through and disappeared from her life forever.

This thought surprised her and made her feel incredibly guilty. Had she really lost hope that they would find him? Did she really think this was it - that he was never coming back?

No, of course she didn't. She couldn't afford to think that way, no matter how long he was missing. After all, Ernest Littlefield had been missing for 50 years and had been found alive and well. Missing in action did not mean gone forever.

"Are you alright, Doctor?"

Janet had lost count of the amount of times she'd heard those words over the last few weeks, but she turned around and answered it the same way she always did. "Yes, I'm fine, Sir. Thank you."

General Hammond didn't look convinced. "You look tired," he said. "As soon as this briefing is over, go home and get some rest. Take a day or two if you need to."

Janet sighed and nodded. "Actually, I think I might do that, Sir," she said. "Thank you."

He gave her an encouraging smile, but didn't say anything more. Janet was glad of that. She was tired of hearing everyone telling her things were going to be okay. Things weren't okay. Daniel was gone.

Janet looked back at the gate one more time before heading to her seat. A wave of restless irritation washed over her at the sight of it standing there silent and still. She felt like yelling at it to cough up her husband, but she knew that was absurd. She just had to wait and hope that Sam would find something, or that she'd get a miracle, and Daniel would somehow find his own way back to them.

She just wondered where he was and what he must be going through that he hadn't been able to return to them yet. Whatever it was, she just hoped he wasn't suffering.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

He was breaking. Breaking into little bitty pieces that no one would even be able to find. It hurt so bad he wanted to scream, but he couldn't do that. If he made a noise, they would know he was free.

No, not free yet. "Cape," he whispered. "Cape." He clung to that word like it was all he had left. Actually, it _was_ all he had left. He pictured it in his mind, willing his tired brain to remember it. "Cape. Out. Home."

Even through the thick haze clouding his mind, he knew that the drug would soon wear off. He had to go. One chance.

"Cape," he whispered again. Time to go home. He clutched his throbbing arm with one hand and rolled to the side until he felt himself falling from the table.

He grunted as he hit the floor, but didn't let himself scream. Breaking. He knew he was breaking. If he didn't get out soon...

"Cape." He dragged himself onto his feet, swaying back and forth for a moment as he tried to balance himself. Then, still clutching his arm, he put one foot in front of the other, willing himself forward.

He made it to the wall. That was his first goal. Step by step. He could do it.

"Cape." He leaned against the wall and studied the panel beside the invisible door. The symbols were foreign to him, but he knew what he was looking for. One word. Cape. Freedom.

He almost cried when he found it. No time for that now, though. He let go of his arm long enough to press the button with all the strength he had left.

The door swooshed open.

Goal number two. He was out.

As he stumbled through the doorway, however, his eyes started to go dark again. He gasped and leaned heavily against the outer wall of the room, squeezing his eyes shut tight against the sudden pain and darkness. He was so close. He couldn't let them win now. He had to go home.

He cracked his eyes open again after a moment, and sighed with relief when he found he could see. He didn't waste another second. He forced his feet to move again, headed for his third goal - the outer door.

"Cape," he murmured as he came to the next control panel. His mind was growing foggier by the second, but he still remembered that word. "Cape. Out. Found it." He punched the button, and the outer door opened for him.

One of them was standing on the other side.

It looked surprised, and hesitated for the briefest moment before acting. That was its downfall.

With a cry of rage, he sprang towards it and grabbed it by the neck, using both hands despite the fiery pain in his arm. It fought back, but his rage was stronger than its fear. With a strength he didn't even know he had, he slammed its head against the wall again and again and again, until finally it went limp.

He realized then what he'd done. He let it fall to the floor and stared at the blood on his hands with an odd fascination. It was red, just like his. For some reason, he found that amusing and burst into hysterical laughter. To think that after all of this, they had something in common after all. Even his muddled, abused brain could see the irony.

A moment later, the laughter stopped. No time, he realized. Where there was one, there were more. They would come, and he wouldn't be strong enough to fight them off. He took advantage of the remaining adrenaline in his system and started to run.

The corridors were long and confusing, and there were times when he was sure he had taken a wrong turn, but he kept on going. When another one of them appeared in his path, he sprang upon it without even thinking twice and knocked it down onto the ground, pounding its ugly face with his good hand until he felt sure it was dead. Then he again dragged himself up onto his feet and ran on.

So close. Just a few more paces and he was there. So close.

Finally, he reached the last control panel. This door led to the outside world, something he hadn't seen in a lifetime. "Cape," he said triumphantly, punching the button with his bloodied fist. The door swung open, and daylight greeted his eyes.

He didn't waste a moment. He took off in the direction of the Stargate and didn't look back. He could see it ahead of him in the distance, and though it seemed so far away that he would never reach it in time, he pressed on. The stabbing pain returned to his eyes, but he pressed on. The darkness threatened to overwhelm him, but he pressed on. He felt that at any moment he would shatter like glass, but he pressed on.

Then he stumbled and fell. He finally allowed himself to scream in pain and rage as he hit the ground. He felt he'd broken for sure this time, so he lay there panting for breath for a few seconds until he could piece himself back together again. Then he looked up and saw the Stargate, just a short distance away now. He could even see the DHD.

"P3X 984," he murmured, dragging himself up onto his hands and knees. The pain that shot through his arm almost took his breath away, but he pushed himself up from the ground until he was standing again. "P3X 984."

He didn't know how he still remembered it. He could feel his brain starting to shut down again as he struggled to keep on putting one foot in front of the other.

"P3X 984. Cape. Home. P3X 984." He kept the mantra going as he drew closer and closer to his final destination. He was almost there. Just a few more steps...

Finally, he reached the DHD and slumped against it while he tried to focus his remaining energy on the task before him. "P...3...X," he said as he started to dial, "9...8...4." One last symbol... which one was it? He scanned the DHD, looking for the last symbol. He remembered the symbol for Earth, but that wasn't it. It wasn't even on this DHD.

Panic started to set in as he realized that he was almost out of time. He could hear an alarm ringing in the distance, and knew that they'd discovered his escape. He had to find the last symbol, or...

"Haha!" he cried joyfully as he finally found the one symbol that he didn't recognize. He remembered now - each planet had a different one. He pressed on it to make it light up, and then leaned his full weight on the crystal in the middle.

The Stargate sprang to life.

He glanced behind him one last time to see a dozen or more of them running towards him. He didn't care. He was free. He threw himself at the event horizon.

The next thing he knew, he was being hurled across the galaxy and dumped onto a stone slab at the other end. He lay there face-down for a moment as everything swirled around him and the pain shot through his head yet again.

He heard scuffling sounds all around him, and he guessed it was people. People - humans. God, how he'd missed humans.

His thoughts all started to jumble together then, but he knew he no longer had to fight it. The drug was wearing off. He was sliding back into oblivion. It didn't matter. He would soon be home.

"Oh my God!" someone said as they turned him over onto his back. "Dr. Jackson?"

"Cape. Home," he whispered. Then he blacked out.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Unscheduled off-world activation."

"Alright, people. You're dismissed," General Hammond announced as he rose to his feet.

Janet breathed a sigh of relief as he left the room. The briefing had taken longer than she'd expected, but she'd been saved by the... gate. Now she was free to go home and have that bath.

She took her time getting to her feet and gathering the papers she'd scattered over the table, so she hadn't yet left the briefing room when she heard General Hammond's voice again. "Medical team to the gateroom. Dr. Fraiser to the gateroom."

_'Dr. Fraiser to the gateroom'?_ Hadn't he been the one to tell her to go home and get some rest? Janet sighed again, this time from frustration. It just never ended.

She jogged down the steps leading to the control room and was about to ask the general what the problem was when she saw the team coming through the gate carrying a man on a stretcher. She couldn't quite see who the sick man was, but she could tell from the anxious looks on the other men's faces that something was very wrong. She ran as fast as she could out of the control room and into the gateroom.

"Stand back, people," one of the men commanded. "Let Dr. Fraiser through."

As the small crowd parted, Janet finally got a good look at the figure lying on the stretcher. Even then, her eyes refused to believe it. "D...Daniel?"

She stood there, staring dumbfounded at his face for a few moments before she finally snapped out of it and moved out of the way of the approaching medical team. She felt someone's hands on her shoulders, and glanced behind to see General Hammond's kind, concerned face. She allowed him to usher her off to the side, far enough away that she wasn't in the way, but still close enough that she could see Daniel's face.

Daniel's face... He was really there. And as worried as everyone seemed to be about him, she could tell that he was breathing. For the moment, that was all she needed to know. He was home, and he was alive. That was more than she'd dared to hope for over the past few days.

"Let's get him to the infirmary," Dr. Warner said, leading the way out of the room as the rest of the medical team followed.

Janet was close behind.

"What happened?" she asked the SG team member who had carried the stretcher through the gate in the first place. "Where did you find him?"

"We didn't find him anywhere, ma'am," the major said. "He gated to the Alpha Site himself. He collapsed as soon as he came through the gate, though. He was kinda talking gibberish, too. I hope he's okay."

Janet hoped so, too. Upon arriving at the infirmary, however, it was made abundantly clear to her that he wasn't.

She was already concerned at the sight of his thin, dirty, bearded face, but it wasn't until his blanket was removed that she saw just how bad his condition really was. For one thing, he was completely naked, and that just served to accentuate how thin he'd become. It was almost as though he hadn't eaten a thing since he'd been gone. His once muscular frame was now skinny and frail, and every rib on his chest could be plainly seen.

On top of that, his entire body was covered in small red marks, almost like cigarette burns that had started to heal. He was covered in blood, most of which was on his hands, but she couldn't see that he was bleeding anywhere. He did, however, have a bandage wrapped around his upper left arm, and when it was removed she saw that there was a relatively fresh wound underneath that seemed to have been cauterized and treated.

What the hell had happened to him?

Janet had a million and one questions as Warner hurriedly examined Daniel and began treating him, but she stayed out of the way while he barked commands to the nurses. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to have a hand in treating him even if she wasn't shaking like a leaf and feeling like she was going to throw up, so she didn't bother wasting anyone's time to ask. She was just glad no one had ushered her out of the room.

She stood there watching the other doctors and nurses work for a minute or two, but suddenly the tones of their voices changed. Her view of Daniel's face was blocked by the people crowding around him, but at the words, "It's alright, Dr. Jackson, you're safe," she knew he was awake. Then she saw his arms flailing frantically in the air and the others trying to catch them and pin them to his sides.

That did it. She had to go over there, whether Dr. Warner liked it or not.

She wormed her way in between the nurses at Daniel's side and made a grab for his left arm. "Daniel!" she said, trying not to sound as worried and frantic as she felt. "Daniel, calm down. Shh, it's alright."

It wasn't until she had hold of his arm that she realized that telling him to shush was unnecessary. He looked over at her with wide, terror-filled eyes, and his mouth was open in an expression of pain and fear, but he wasn't making a sound other than panting for breath.

Janet shook her head slightly in confusion and turned to Dr. Warner. "What's going on?" she asked, not fully expecting an answer but feeling the need to voice the question anyway.

"I have no idea," he said, sounding just as confused as she was. "He's dehydrated, malnourished, and seems to be in a lot of pain - that's really all I've been able to determine thus far. He suddenly woke up a second ago and started thrashing around like this. He didn't even make a sound."

Janet looked down at Daniel again, and jumped slightly when she saw that he was staring right at her with a pleading look in his eyes. His arms had been restrained by this time, but he was pulling against the restraints in what seemed to be an effort to get closer to her.

"Daniel?" She leaned down so that her face was just inches away from his, and he followed her every move with his eyes. "Daniel, it's Janet. Can you hear me?"

His eyes filled with tears as she spoke and his face screwed up like he was going to cry, but still he made no sound. She felt something move against her side and looked down to see that he was grabbing at her coat with his hand - the only motion he could make now that his arms were tied down.

Janet smiled and took his hand in both of hers. "It's okay, Daniel," she said. "You're home now. You're safe."

"Do you think you can keep him calm while we continue, Dr. Fraiser?" Warner asked her quietly.

She nodded. "Do what you have to do," she said, not taking her eyes away from Daniel even for a second. "He seems to have been traumatized by whatever happened, but I think he knows where he is now."

Janet never took her gaze away from his frightened blue eyes throughout the rest of Dr. Warner's examination. They seemed to be trying to tell her something, but she couldn't figure out what it was. All she knew was that they held so much pain and longing that it was breaking her heart. She just wished he would speak to her. Even one word would have set her mind at ease. His eerie silence was even more frightening than the strange marks on his body.

She could only hope that it wouldn't last for long.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

SG-1 were halfway through collecting soil samples from your average, run-of-the-mill, abandoned planet when it happened. The gate started to activate.

Jack snapped to attention right away and ducked behind a nearby bush with his P-90 at the ready. He knew that when one is on an abandoned world and the Stargate comes to life, one of two things is about to happen - the Goa'uld have somehow made your position and are coming to kill you, or you are about to be given news from home, whether good or bad. One always hopes for the latter of the two possible outcomes of a surprise activation, while at the same time hoping that the news one is about to hear isn't that the SGC is under attack or that someone related to you or your team members has died.

Good news, however, was rare, so Jack took every precaution and motioned for his team to do the same.

"SG-1, this is General Hammond. Please respond."

So, it was news from home. He stood up and signalled to Carter and Teal'c, who had taken refuge behind bushes of their own, that the coast was clear. "Go ahead, Sir," he said into his radio.

"Colonel O'Neill, I think you and your team should return to the SGC right away," Hammond said. "Dr. Jackson has been found."

Jack stared at his dumbstruck teammates for a few seconds before the words sank in. Dr. Jackson... found? He wasn't ready to jump for joy just yet, though. "Is he alive, Sir?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice from breaking with emotion.

"He's alive, Jack," Hammond assured him, "but he seems to have been through a terrible ordeal. I'm sure he would want the three of you with him as quickly as possible."

Jack could feel as well as hear Carter's sigh of relief. "We're on our way," he said.

As soon as the gate shut down, Carter dialled Earth's address and punched in their iris code, and back they went. They didn't even bother with the usual formalities on the other side. "Infirmary," Hammond told them as they jogged down the ramp and headed for the door. They couldn't move fast enough.

They were stopped at the door of the infirmary by a rather large aide, however, and no matter what they said or did, the guy just wouldn't let them through. "I'm sorry, Sir," he said over and over again. "Dr. Warner insisted that no one but medical personnel be allowed inside until he says otherwise."

Jack craned his neck to look past him and caught a glimpse of someone lying on one of the beds with a crowd of white coats around him. That had to be Daniel. He was so close. "Come on," he said. "We won't get in anybody's way. The guy's been MIA for a month! We just want to see him..."

"It's okay, let them through," Dr. Warner called from a few feet inside the infirmary.

"Finally," Jack muttered under his breath as the aide stepped aside. He didn't waste a second in entering the room and making a beeline for Daniel's bed.

Carter and Teal'c followed close behind, so Jack could plainly hear Carter's gasp when they finally saw what a mess their friend was in.

He was covered with a sheet from the chest down, but they could still see that he was in pretty bad shape. The docs were attaching all kinds of tubes and needles to him, but he didn't seem to be paying them any attention at all. He was looking straight at Fraiser, who was holding his hand and stroking his hair, whispering soothing words to him as the others worked as quickly as they could. Even so, Daniel looked scared. Scared and broken.

Jack shuddered. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the poor kid had been through. Had he been tortured? Had he been dumped somewhere alone without food or proper shelter all this time? It was killing him not to know.

"Doc," he said quietly as he stepped up beside Fraiser. "How's he doing?"

"Not well," was her simple answer.

"Do we know..."

"We don't know anything yet, Colonel," she said. She sounded a bit snippy, but he guessed that was only to be expected under the circumstances. He was feeling this hard enough - he wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

"Has he said..."

"Not a word." She stroked the side of Daniel's face as she spoke, and he closed his eyes and leaned into her hand in a silent plea for more. "He hasn't even tried to speak."

Okay, something sounded very wrong there.

"He hasn't said anything?" Carter said. She sounded confused, too. "How long has he been conscious?"

"Maybe ten minutes," Fraiser replied.

"Now that I think about it, Janet, it doesn't make much sense," Dr. Warner interrupted. His busy hands stilled now that Daniel was all hooked up to whatever machinery was surrounding the bed, and he turned his full attention onto Fraiser. "Didn't Major Gordon say that he was talking gibberish when he first arrived on the Alpha Site?"

Fraiser nodded slowly. "Yet he hasn't uttered so much as a whimper since he arrived here," she said.

Jack felt a shudder pass through him at the eerie silence that followed this remark. He shook it out of himself and said, "Maybe he's just disoriented. Daniel?" He stepped closer to the bed and leaned his hands on the mattress to get a closer look at Daniel's face. "Daniel, you with me?"

Daniel tore his gaze away from Fraiser and blinked heavily as he made himself focus on Jack.

"Hey, buddy," Jack said. He couldn't hold back a smile now that he was finally making eye contact with his friend after spending so much time wondering whether he was dead or alive, and whether he would ever see him again. "Do you know who I am?"

Daniel just stared at him. For a second, Jack thought maybe he couldn't understand what he was saying, but the look Daniel was giving him wasn't blank or confused. He just looked... sad.

"Can you talk?" Jack asked. "Can you tell us what happened to you?"

Daniel sucked in a sharp breath then and squeezed Fraiser's hand. He looked panicked for a second as his eyes moved from Jack to Warner to Carter to Teal'c and finally back to Fraiser. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and rolled his head from side to side on his pillow.

"It's okay, Daniel," Fraiser soothed. "Just relax. No one here is going to hurt you." She bent down to kiss his forehead and rested her cheek against the top of his head as he started to settle down again.

Jack glanced over at Carter and Teal'c and found that they looked just as troubled over this as he felt. Something just wasn't right. Daniel was a communicator by nature. Why would he completely clam up like this? Fraiser was right - he didn't even grunt or whimper or anything.

"Do you think we can release his arms?" Fraiser said, her voice shaking ever so slightly and her eyes glistening with tears. "I don't think he's likely to thrash about anymore."

Dr. Warner nodded and started untying one of Daniel's arms. Jack quickly stepped in to take care of the other one.

As soon as Daniel's arms were free, he raised his right hand and patted his left arm, looking up at Fraiser with a piteous look on his face.

Fraiser looked confused for a second, but then a light bulb seemed to go on over her head. "Does your arm hurt?" she asked. "Do you want something for the pain?"

Daniel started to look panicked again and shook his head. He grabbed at the bandage that was wrapped around his upper arm, tugging and scratching at it like he was trying to rip it off.

"No, Daniel," Fraiser gently chided as she took his hand and tried to force it away from the bandage. "That has to stay on there. You've been hurt."

Daniel reacted like he'd just been slapped. He flinched and pulled his hands away from her, holding them up to cover his face as if for protection. Then he rolled over onto his right side with his back to her.

Fraiser looked helplessly over at Jack as if for help, but Jack didn't have a clue what was going on or what he could do to help. He could only look on in stunned silence as Daniel's shoulders started shaking with silent sobs.

"What the hell is going on, Janet?" Carter asked a moment later.

Fraiser shook her head and raised a hand to her mouth. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."

"I'd like to run a full set of tests as well as an MRI as soon as possible," Warner said, "but somehow I get the feeling that would only upset him further if we did it right away. I think we should let him rest for an hour or two first, see if he'll start talking on his own."

Fraiser nodded. "Okay. I'll sit with him until then, but I think having so many people around all at once is a bit too much for him right now."

Jack could see where this was heading. "I'd like to stay, too," he said before anyone could order him out of the room. "You know... just in case he starts panicking again and needs someone to hold him down... or something."

"Alright," Dr. Warner agreed. "Dr. Fraiser and Colonel O'Neill can stay, but I think it would be best if everyone else left for now."

"But..." Carter tried, but Jack cut her off.

"Carter."

She shot him a puppy-dog look, but he wasn't about to fall for it. He raised an eyebrow to show he meant it. "Okay," she said, ever the obedient soldier. "Call us if there's any... change."

"Of course."

She stepped closer to Daniel and laid her hand gently on his arm. "I'll see you later, Daniel," she whispered.

Daniel didn't respond, and his silent sobs didn't let up. Carter turned away looking absolutely heartbroken.

Teal'c stepped forward then, and he, too, laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Be well, Daniel Jackson," he said.

Still no response from Daniel, but Teal'c didn't seem to take it personally. He turned and left the room with his head held high.

Once it was just Jack and Fraiser left with Daniel, they each pulled up a stool on either side of his bed and sat down to wait. What they were waiting for, though, was anybody's guess.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Daniel had been sobbing for five minutes before Janet had finally had enough. She'd been without him for so long, and now that he was finally back, she couldn't stand to just sit there watching him crying out his pain and fear all alone. She got off her stool and perched herself beside him on the bed. "Daniel?" she whispered to him as she stroked his hair. "Please stop crying now. You're home. You don't have to be afraid."

She felt his body shudder when she touched his arm, so she quickly withdrew her hand. Was he really in so much pain that the slightest touch hurt him? She wished he would talk to them and tell them what was wrong.

"Daniel?" she tried again. "Why won't you talk to me?"

He raised his fist and slapped it against his head a few times, until Janet grabbed it and made him stop.

"Don't do that," she said. "You'll hurt yourself."

Colonel O'Neill scooted his stool closer to Daniel and pulled both of his hands down to rest on the bed. "Relax, Daniel," he said.

Daniel obviously didn't feel like relaxing. He yanked his hands away from Colonel O'Neill and started trying to turn over onto his back. Janet hopped off the bed just in time, as he would otherwise have pushed her onto the floor.

"Can you tell me where it hurts, Daniel?" she asked. "You can just whisper it to me if you want to."

Daniel's forehead wrinkled up as though he were trying to concentrate on what she was saying.

Janet figured that might be some kind of breakthrough, so she said again, "Can you tell me where it hurts?"

An anxious look came over his face then, and he patted his left arm as he'd done minutes earlier.

"Yes," Janet said, "you have a wound on your arm. Does it hurt?"

Daniel didn't answer, just started pulling at the bandage again.

"No, Daniel, I already told you that has to stay on," she said.

Colonel O'Neill sighed as he had to fight against him yet again to bring Daniel's hands down away from his arm. "Is it just me, or are we getting nowhere?" he said.

Janet shook her head. "I thought we were getting somewhere for a moment there, Sir. I know for a fact that Dr. Warner gave him something for the pain, but he didn't want to give him too high a dose before we knew what was wrong. I can't figure out whether his arm is really hurting him, or whether he just doesn't want to wear the bandage."

Colonel O'Neill looked thoughtful for a moment. "Or maybe it's something else."

"What do you mean?"

He looked grave as he met her gaze. "Maybe the memory of whatever gave him that wound is haunting him."

Janet shivered at the thought. They still hadn't a clue where Daniel had been or what had happened to him in the past month, and it was becoming abundantly clear that they wouldn't get anywhere with him until they figured it out. But where should they start?

"I think I'm going to tell Dr. Warner that we shouldn't wait for that MRI," she said, suddenly feeling desperate to find out just what was going on here. "We need to know more about his condition as soon as possible."

She went to walk away, but Daniel grabbed her arm in an iron grip. He looked on the verge of panic, but he still didn't make a sound.

Janet sighed and patted his hand. He obviously wanted her to stay with him, and she wasn't about to say no. "Colonel, could you go and fetch Dr. Warner, please?" she said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she said. "We'll be fine." She gave Daniel's hand a gentle squeeze and forced a smile.

Daniel blinked in return and seemed to relax a little.

Colonel O'Neill hurried off without another word, and returned moments later with Dr. Warner in tow.

"You really think he's ready for the MRI?" Warner asked.

Janet nodded. "As ready as he'll ever be," she said. She swallowed down her raging emotions as she added, "We, uh... we should probably restrain him again, just in case."

Dr. Warner seemed reluctant, but he and Colonel O'Neill fastened the restraints on Daniel's wrists once again despite Daniel's growing panic.

"Daniel, we're just going to take you for an MRI, okay?" Janet said, trying to keep any signs of worry from her face and the tone of her voice as she attempted to calm him down. "You must remember having them before, right? Standard procedure. Nothing to be frightened of."

Whether he remembered having an MRI before or not, he was certainly afraid of them now. As soon as they wheeled his gurney into the room and he caught a glimpse of the machine, he started struggling to free himself from his bonds. No matter what Janet, Colonel O'Neill, or Dr. Warner did, he would not calm down.

"I'm going to have to sedate him," Dr. Warner said, preparing a syringe.

That was the last thing Janet had wanted to do, but she could see that there was no other choice. Daniel had to have that scan, and there was no way they'd get an accurate reading if he wouldn't keep still.

Just as Warner was approaching him with the needle, however, something happened that stopped everyone in the room dead in their tracks.

Daniel's frantic gaze fell on the syringe and then again on the MRI machine, and suddenly his entire body went rigid. Then he sucked in a deep breath and cried, "NOOOO!"

The sound echoed through the room, making it seem ten times louder than it really was. It made Janet's blood run cold, not only because it was the first sound that had come out of him since he'd come home, but also because of the intense fear and desperation that had created it.

Still, as bad as his sudden outcry had been, what came next was even more frightening. Daniel's eyes rolled back in his head, and his body started to convulse.

"He's seizing!" Janet cried.

Dr. Warner was hovering over Daniel in an instant, but to Janet's dismay, he didn't do a thing. He looked over at Janet with wide eyes after a second or two and said, "He isn't seizing, Janet."

"Then what..."

Before Janet could finish her sentence, Daniel went completely limp. Warner laid his hand on Daniel's neck and felt for a pulse.

"He's alright," he said. "But my God... we can't do this MRI."

"What? Why?" If he didn't start giving them answers soon, Janet swore she would shake them out of him.

"He just received an electric shock, Janet," Warner said in disbelief. "There must be something in him that set it off. If we do the MRI..."

"It could be ripped right out of his body," Janet finished. She could feel her face draining of colour as her stomach seemed to sink down into her shoes.

"His arm," Colonel O'Neill said, pointing to the now blood-soaked bandage.

"Oh my God," Janet breathed as she quickly removed the bandage to find that Daniel's wound had reopened. "How..."

"That's what he was trying to tell us," the colonel said with a bitter tone to his voice. "There's something in his arm. He can't talk because if he does, he gets a shock from whatever the damn thing is."

"Well... then we have to get it out of him!"

Warner nodded. "That's exactly what we'll do. I'll prep OR-1."

Janet stared at him as he all but ran from the room, and then she turned back to Daniel. He was unconscious now, but he still looked frightened and in pain even in his sleep.

Colonel O'Neill ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep breath. "What the hell kind of animals would do this to a guy?"

Janet shook her head. She didn't even want to think about it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sam didn't know what to do with herself while she waited for word on Daniel's condition. The last she'd heard was that he was being taken into surgery to get some kind of device removed from his arm. The messenger hadn't given any explanation of what this device was or what it had done to him, just that it was imperative that they get it out of him as quickly as possible. That didn't exactly ease her mind.

She felt much too restless to just sit there, so she tried pacing for a while. After a minute, though, she got tired of Teal'c watching her cross from one end of the room to the other like he was at a tennis match, so she sat down again and jigged her legs impatiently.

"Perhaps you should call Cassandra and inform her of Daniel Jackson's return," Teal'c said as Sam finally hopped to her feet again.

Sam could have kissed him. "Yes, good idea," she said. "She'll be getting in from school right about now. She'd want to know as soon as possible." She smiled as she passed Teal'c on her way out of the room. "Thanks, Teal'c," she said, knowing he'd offered her the task so she could feel like she was actually doing something.

Teal'c inclined his head to her - his way of saying, "You're welcome."

Sam grabbed the first phone she came across, which was on the wall in one of the infirmary hallways, and quickly dialled Janet's home phone number.

It rang three times before someone picked up, and a breathless voice said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Cassie, it's Sam."

"Oh, hey, Sam," Cassie said, not sounding overly excited to hear her voice. "I just got in from school. What's up?"

Sam took a deep breath. "Well... I have good news, and... not so good news," she said. "Are you ready?"

Cassie went quiet for a moment, and when she spoke again she sounded rather subdued, as though she were afraid of what she was about to hear. "Okay."

"Daniel's back," Sam said, opting for going straight to the point. "He's here at the SGC, and your mom is with him now."

Cassie let out a breath in a loud whoosh. "Thank God," she said. "So, what's the not so good news?"

"He's... he's in pretty rough shape, Cass. We still don't know where he was all this time or what happened to him, but whatever it was... it wasn't good. He's having surgery right now, and I think we'll know more about his condition when he gets out."

"Surgery?" Cassie's voice sounded paper thin through the phone line. "He's gonna be okay, though, right?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Sam said, hoping she wasn't lying to the girl. "He's got your mom and Dr. Warner looking after him now, and you know they won't let anything happen to him."

"Yeah. I know." Cassie paused for a second or two, and then asked, "Can I come see him?"

Sam chewed on the inside of her lip. "I don't know, Cass... before his surgery, only your mom and Colonel O'Neill were allowed in the room. I'm not sure how soon he'll be allowed other visitors."

"Well, can you tell him something for me when you see him?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Tell him... tell him I said hi. And that I love him... and I miss him. Okay?"

Sam's heart broke at the sincerity in the girl's words. "Yeah, I'll tell him," she said softly. "I'm sure he'll be really happy to hear that."

"Thanks, Sam."

Sam tried to make a bit of small talk after that, asking how Cassie's day at school had gone and what homework she had to do that night, but getting her to talk any more was like drawing blood from a stone. She felt bad for her, being stuck all alone at home when so much was going on at the SGC, but there wasn't much they could do about that. She was a tough kid, though, and Sam knew she could handle it. Still, she had a heavy heart when she finally hung up and left Cassie to her own devices. She knew from experience that it wasn't easy being a 'military brat,' never knowing whether your parents were going to come home at the end of the day.

Her thoughts were drawn back to the situation at hand when she returned to the waiting room. She was just in time to see Dr. Warner enter the room and announce that the surgery was finished, and that it had been a success.

"We still don't know what the device is, but..."

"Let me see it," Sam said before Warner could even finish his sentence.

Warner smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that, Major," he said, and handed her a small petrie dish with a tiny scrap of metal inside.

"How long before we can see him?" she asked as she took the dish and looked closely at the little device.

"Give it a couple of hours," he said. "He's still unconscious at the moment, and I would imagine he'll be feeling very disoriented when he comes to."

Sam nodded. "Well, I'll be in my lab if you need me," she said as she turned to go.

She was determined to find some answers before that time was up.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Janet sighed and shifted position again, trying to find a more comfortable way of sitting in her chair. It was no use - it was much too hard to be comfortable, not to mention that her feet barely touched the floor. She made a mental note to request that her office chair be brought into Daniel's infirmary room the next time Colonel O'Neill came to check on him. She was probably going to be there for quite a while, after all.

She didn't understand why he hadn't woken up yet. His surgery had ended almost an hour ago, yet he hadn't shown any sign that he was returning to consciousness. Janet could say that for a fact, because there was no way that even a flicker of his eyelids would have gotten by her. She'd been watching him like a hawk the entire time.

A sudden clatter out in the hallway drew her attention away from him for a second, but as soon as she realized it was just a clumsy nurse trying to carry too much at once, Janet looked back down at her husband. To her surprise, in that one second it had become blatantly clear that he wasn't asleep after all.

He hadn't moved as far as she could tell, but every muscle in his body had tensed up, and he seemed to be struggling to keep his breathing even. It was almost like he was on the verge of panic, but at the same time afraid to show any sign that he was conscious.

"Daniel?" Janet said, keeping her voice low and quiet so as not to startle him further. "Are you awake?"

He stiffened even more as she spoke, but didn't open his eyes.

"Daniel?" She laid a hand on his shoulder in an effort to reassure him, but that turned out to be the wrong thing to do. Daniel gasped and jerked his arm away from her, his eyes opening wide in panic.

"It's okay!" Janet said as she tried to prevent him from edging so far away from her that he fell off the bed. "Daniel, it's okay! It's me, Janet. You're safe."

Something in her voice seemed to break through to him, as he started to relax just slightly and squinted up at her with a confused look on his face.

Janet smiled and gently stroked his arm. "That's it. Just relax. You're home now."

Daniel's forehead wrinkled up in concentration as he stared at her mouth. The look on his face gave Janet the uneasy feeling that he didn't understand what she was saying.

"Can... can you talk?" Janet asked hesitantly. She was a bit scared that whatever they'd taken out of his arm wasn't the cause of his problems after all.

Daniel reacted the same way he had every other time he'd been asked that question. He glanced at his arm, panting nervously as though he were about to hyperventilate.

"It's okay," Janet assured him. "We took the implant out of your arm. It can't hurt you anymore."

He blinked up at her, still not seeming to understand what she was saying, yet obviously struggling to follow her words.

Janet patted her arm and then pointed to his. "It's gone," she said. "Can you talk to me now?"

Daniel looked down at his arm curiously and started tearing at the bandage again. Janet just let him do what he wanted, hoping it meant he was finally coming around to himself again. When he saw the freshly stitched wound, he looked up at Janet with tears in his eyes.

Janet nodded in answer to his unspoken question. "Gone," she repeated.

Daniel opened his mouth as if to speak, but he seemed to choke on whatever sound he had hoped to make. He stopped, licked his lips, and tried again. "Ah."

It was just a soft, quiet sound, but it was music to Janet's ears. She beamed at him, barely able to restrain the tears that sprang to her own eyes. "That's it," she encouraged him. "Keep trying."

Daniel didn't seem interested in trying to communicate, however. As soon as he realized he wasn't going to receive an electric shock, he burst into hysterical laughter and then curled up in a ball to cry.

Janet was stunned. She had never known Daniel to pass up a chance to communicate, and the way he had dissolved in on himself... God, what had happened to him?

"When did he wake up?"

Janet jumped a little at the colonel's sudden appearance at her side. "Just a minute ago," she replied. "He seems to understand that the device has been removed, but I think he's having trouble following what I'm saying."

"Cape," Daniel said. At least, that's what it sounded like. His arms were over his face, so his voice was slightly muffled, but Janet was sure that was the word he'd used.

"What did you say?" she asked, leaning closer to him so she could hear better.

Daniel pushed himself up to a sitting position, drawing his knees close to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "Cape," he repeated, focusing his eyes dead ahead as he started to rock back and forth. "Out."

Janet shared confused looks with Colonel O'Neill. "What?"

"Cape... out."

"I... I can't understand what you're saying, Daniel," Janet said. She was starting to fear that he'd received some kind of brain damage somehow. He was talking complete gibberish.

Daniel glanced up at her for a second, but quickly looked down again. "Cape... means out."

"Cape means out?"

"Out."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

Daniel cringed at the sound of the colonel's voice and reached his hand out towards Janet's chest.

Janet jumped back in surprise, even though she didn't feel that he meant her any harm. Colonel O'Neill, however, reacted a little more strongly.

"Whoa!" he cried, stepping forward to grab Daniel's hands. "Hey, none of that, big fella."

Daniel seemed frightened by the sudden movement and struggled to get away from him. "No!" he cried. "No! No! No!"

Janet looked down at her chest as if the answer to what was bothering him was there. It just so happened that it was. "Colonel!" she said, taking a pen out of the pocket of her lab coat. "I think he wanted this." She took out a small notepad, as well, and handed both items to Daniel.

Daniel looked relieved as he snatched them from her hands, and he started to scrawl something on the paper. When he was finished, he all but threw it back at Janet in his hurry to get whatever he'd drawn away from him. He hugged himself tightly as Janet scanned the page.

Janet's mouth fell open as she realized what she was looking at. "Colonel... he just wrote something in what appears to be the same language as the inscription on that stone."

Colonel O'Neill took the pad from her and squinted down at the symbols. Janet could see the light bulb go on over his head a second later, and he looked over at Daniel in amazement. "What the hell have you been doing all this time?" he murmured.

Daniel seemed to find that question rather uncomfortable. "Out," he said. "Cape. Means out. Go home now. Bye." His face crumpled as he curled up on the bed facing away from them and started to cry again.

Janet and Colonel O'Neill stared at each other in amazement. "What the hell happened to him, Colonel?" she whispered.

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, but I sure hope he gives us a hint pretty damn soon."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"How's it coming, Carter?"

Carter looked up from her desk full of fancy do-hickeys and gave Jack the look he always dreaded - the "this is too complicated even for me to figure out" look.

"Not well, Sir," she said. "This is a technology we've never come across before. It's so advanced that I don't even know where to start. And to be honest, I can't figure out how a device implanted in Daniel's arm was keeping him from talking. It's just..."

"Too complicated even for you to figure out?"

Carter seemed to deflate a little. "Yes, Sir."

Jack nodded. He didn't really know why he'd expected results so soon. Nothing came easy where Daniel was concerned. "Keep at it," he said as he turned to go.

"Sir?"

He stopped and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he faced her again and waited for her to continue.

She seemed reluctant to say whatever was on her mind, but after a rather impatient look from Jack, she let out a sigh and said, "I don't know whether you've heard... I got the call from Dr. Warner just before you got here, and he'd only just spoken to Janet..."

"Spit it out, Carter." Her hesitance was starting to make him nervous.

"The blood they found on Daniel's hands, Sir. It wasn't his."

Jack wasn't expecting her to stop there, so they just stared at each other for a moment before he took one hand out of his pocket to make a quick, rolling motion. "And...? Whose is it?"

Carter looked down at her hands and bit her lip. "We don't know, Sir," she said when she looked up at him again. "It wasn't human, and it wasn't from any alien race that we've ever come in contact with before."

Jack wasn't sure whether to take that as good news or very, very bad. "So... not the Goa'uld," he said.

Carter shook her head. "No, Sir. And the fact that he had this blood all over his hands and splattered over the rest of his body would indicate..."

"That he killed whatever it was," Jack said with a short nod of understanding. "Probably while trying to escape."

Carter nodded silently.

Jack took a deep breath and slapped his hand against his hip. "Or it could have been some animal he killed in order to eat." He shrugged. "Until Daniel starts talking, we shouldn't jump to any conclusions."

"Sir... you saw the mess he was in as well as I did. It's obvious that he's been tortured, and..."

"Is it?"

Carter shot him a disbelieving look.

"He can barely focus on our faces or string two words together, Carter. How did he remember how to dial the gate? How did he remember the address for the Alpha site? Why could he talk when he first came through the gate? How did he know some of that alien language?"

"Because he's in shock, Sir," Carter said. Her voice started to break on the words, but she swallowed hard and continued, "It probably didn't sink in for him until he arrived here. And as for being able to talk... if I could figure this damn device out, I would probably be able to give you an answer, but until then..."

"Fine," Jack cut her off. "Then get back to work on it." He didn't wait around for her to respond. He ducked out of that lab as fast as his legs would carry him.

He kicked himself for it a moment later. Carter was probably right, after all - Daniel had been the victim of senseless torture and any amount of unthinkable atrocities, and he'd probably done anything he could in order to escape. Still, some part of him just wasn't convinced that was it. Something didn't feel right - something about it all didn't fit, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. There were too many questions and hardly any answers.

"Damn aliens," Jack cursed under his breath. If only cursing the damn things made him feel better.

He felt completely useless to help Daniel in any way, and only felt he was getting underfoot with the doctors and scientists who were trying to do their jobs, so he made his way to the commissary to get something for Fraiser to eat. At least that was one thing he could do.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Breaking. Still breaking. It felt like everything around him, even the air, was closing in and crushing him.

There were people with him all the time now. Humans, he reminded himself. People just like him. He tried not to be afraid of them, but sometimes when the fog became too thick for him to see through, they seemed just like _them_, hovering around him, babbling away in their confusing language and poking him with sharp instruments.

It was easier to believe reality when the woman was there, though. Whenever he saw her, he felt better right away. He knew her - he just couldn't remember her name. He couldn't remember many words at all, but her name was the only one he missed.

He clutched his blankets tightly in his fists and pulled them up closer to his neck. He relished the feeling of being covered now, especially through the night. Even though he was still living in a state of constant fear, he felt that anything would be easier to face if he wasn't as open and exposed as he'd been for so long.

Even though memories of that place would come to his mind every time he started to fall asleep, he was already starting to forget bits and pieces of his time there. He hoped it wouldn't take long before his mind was wiped completely clean. It would hurt so much less if he could only forget. If he hadn't remembered the feel of their cold, unsympathetic hands on his body, he wouldn't have fought off the woman who had tried to wash him. He wouldn't start to panic each time someone touched him or made sudden movements near his bed. He didn't want to fear these people - he knew that he should know them and trust them - he just couldn't seem to control himself when the fog settled in.

He wished he could remember why that was. He knew there was a reason for it. He hadn't been this way forever, as _they_ seemed to believe. He wasn't an animal - he was a human being, just like the ones who were around him now. They could think and feel and speak, so why couldn't he?

His arm was getting sore where it had been sliced open just a little while earlier. He fingered the bandage as he tried to wrap his mind around the reason behind its presence. There had been something in his arm, that much he remembered. _They_ had put it there when they had tried to... no, he didn't want to think about that. He curled up into a tighter ball and buried his face in his pillow.

He remembered that he'd been screaming and trying to fight them off, and that's when they had tied him down and implanted... something... into his arm. The next time he had tried to speak, he had experienced the most horrible, all-encompassing pain of his entire life. He shuddered at the memory.

Why? Why had this been done to him?

He struggled to find the answer to this question as another wave of fog settled in. His thoughts became muddled until it passed, and in the meantime he heard voices all around him and hands on his body. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe... He caught sight of the woman as he tossed his head from side to side in protest, and felt her hand take his. He squeezed it with all of his might as a man started doing something with a needle. He was afraid that the man would stick it into his skin, but he didn't - he stuck it into a tube that was already attached to his arm. He felt the effects of whatever it was right away as his pain started to ease up, and he began to grow sleepy.

The sleepiness didn't cause him to lose consciousness, even though he felt as though he should allow it to happen. He had fought sleep for so long now that the act seemed foreign to him.

As the fog began to lift again moments later despite the drowsiness, he looked around to see that the woman was sitting in a chair beside his bed, fast asleep. He watched her for a while, finding comfort in the air of peacefulness that surrounded her. After a few minutes of trying to sort through his disjointed thoughts, he finally remembered. Janet. Her name was Janet.

Now that he knew he could use his voice whenever he wanted to, he decided he would try it out. "J...Ja...Janet?" he whispered.

Her eyelids flickered and then opened, and she looked over at him in surprise. "Daniel?"

Daniel. That was his name. He'd almost forgotten that he had one. Why?

This thought sent him into a momentary panic, and it seemed to worry Janet. She stood up and came over to stand at his side, taking his hand in hers. "Are you alright?"

No. No, he wasn't alright. But why? Dammit, why couldn't he remember? Why couldn't he think? "Can't think," he somehow managed to say past a moan. "Why?"

"Daniel, you've been through a lot..."

Why was she telling him that? He knew what he'd been through. He'd been poked, prodded, humiliated, violated, and treated like a lab rat for longer than he cared to know, but why? Why was his mind so foggy? Something... something he should remember...

He slapped his hand against his forehead as he tried to force his brain to think harder.

"Stop that, Daniel," Janet said. "You'll hurt your head." She grabbed his wrist and forced his hand down to his side.

That's when he remembered.

"Head," he said, as that was the only word he could grasp onto for a second.

"Does your head hurt?"

"No." He rolled his head from side to side and fought hard to remember how to say it. "Head... inside. Get... out!"

"What? I... I don't understand you..."

"Out!" Daniel cried. He could feel the fog returning, so he knew he had only moments to make her understand. "Head... inside..." Oh God, she wasn't understanding. He tried and tried... why weren't the words there!

He slapped his arm in the place where the first object had been removed. "Head," he repeated. "Inside... can't think."

"Oh my God... you have another one of those things in your head?"

Daniel sighed. That was it. He didn't need to say anything more. He just lay there and let the fog descend.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"That would make sense," Sam said thoughtfully. "The device in his arm was just a trigger of some kind, giving commands to whatever they implanted into his head."

"Wouldn't one device do the trick?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

Janet waved their conversation off with a quick flick of her hand. "It doesn't matter what it is and why it's there," she said. "The question is, can we get it _out_?" She turned to Dr. Warner with a pleading look and hoped that the sour expression on his face wasn't as bad a sign as it seemed to be.

"You saw the results of the CT scan," he said in the soft, comforting tone that meant he was about to deliver bad news. "It's directly attached to his brain. Without knowing what it is and how it was implanted, I don't think we can risk removing it. One wrong move and he could be permanently brain damaged... or worse."

Janet rested her hands on her hips and stared at the floor as she tried to think of a way around this verdict. Part of her was sure that Daniel had already suffered brain damage from the damn thing - possibly damage that was made worse with every second it was inside him - and therefore had nothing to lose from the surgery, but the rest of her didn't want to risk losing him completely. Still, if this device was keeping Daniel from being able to function, they had to remove it.

Besides, Daniel had asked her to get it out of him. She couldn't let him down after everything he'd been through.

She sucked in a deep breath as a sudden thought occurred to her. "What about... an EM pulse?" she asked Sam. "When Togar implanted you with the Urgo device, you said an EM pulse would shut it down."

"It... could potentially disable it," Sam said slowly, "but are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"If it's been integrated into his brain processes, it could still kill him, I know." Janet sighed and held her arms out helplessly. "What choice do we have? Daniel seems to believe this device is impairing his brain function, and I think he's right. He seems almost lucid at times, but then the confusion settles in again. I've been keeping track of how often it happens, and there seems to be a pattern. That would indicate that something mechanical is causing it, rather than simply being the result of shock or trauma. If it's this device, we should at least _try_ to get rid of it."

Colonel O'Neill was watching her closely throughout this speech, his arms folded across his chest and a deadly serious expression on his face. As soon as she stopped for breath, he nodded. "If Daniel was in his right mind, that's probably what he'd tell us to do," he said. "I say let's do it."

"If the device is rendered inactive, there would probably be less risk in removing it," Dr. Warner said, though he still sounded dubious.

"If it's rendered inactive, there might not even be a need to remove it," Sam said. "It's worth a shot. I'll go set it up in my lab."

Colonel O'Neill moved to follow her as she hurried from the room. "I'll go run it by Hammond," he said. "Get Daniel ready." Then he was gone, leaving Janet with Teal'c and Dr. Warner.

"Will you require my assistance?" Teal'c asked as Dr. Warner went back over to Daniel's bed on the other side of the room.

"Yes, thank you," Warner said. "We'll need to take him to the lab on his gurney, and we'll need to take a crash cart along just in case."

Janet sat on the edge of Daniel's bed as the two men and one of the nurses bustled about getting everything ready for their little trip. Daniel was half asleep, thanks to the sedative he'd been given a short time earlier, but he moved his hand towards her in acknowledgment of her presence. Janet smiled and took it in both of hers. "We're going to try something that will hopefully turn off the device in your brain," she said. "Is that okay?"

Daniel just gazed at her for a moment through his heavy-lidded eyes before allowing them to flutter and close.

Janet took that as a good sign. He'd been fighting sleep for hours, even through the sedatives they'd been pumping into him. She was confident that this meant they were doing the right thing.

Just a few more minutes, and they would have a better idea of what they were dealing with. Maybe then things could finally go back to normal.

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The first thing he noticed as he began to come around was that the buzzing had stopped. He hadn't even realized it was there until it was gone. It was nice.

He was about to drift back off to sleep when the thought fully registered in his mind. No buzzing... no breaking... no fog... he could think and feel for the first time in forever... could he really be free?

No. No freedom. He choked back a cry of despair as a memory of that place entered his mind and turned his blood cold. He could still remember. God, why couldn't he just forget?

A sudden hand on his arm startled him into opening his eyes and edging away from whoever was there. Images of alien faces floated in front of him; memories of garbled voices, moaning, screaming, whirring machines, and sharp, cold objects that seemed to have no purpose other than causing pain...

"Easy, Daniel, it's alright."

Soft, female voice... long, dark hair... kind, brown eyes... white coat...

"Janet?"

She smiled. "That's right. How are you feeling?"

He licked his parched lips and cleared his throat as he took a quick inventory. His brain was moving slower than it probably should, but even that was a big improvement. His body was sore, but at least he no longer felt as though he were about to fall apart. But all in all, he felt... empty.

"Daniel?"

He blinked heavily and tried to formulate an answer to her question. "I... I'm..." He could feel that he was about to cry, but he took a deep breath and finished, "I'm better."

Janet's smile grew even wider and prettier than before. She took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "Thank God," she said. "I think it worked. You're going to be okay." She sighed as she sat down on the edge of his bed and curled up beside him with her arms around his neck.

Daniel stiffened at this action. It felt nice in a way, and she was being careful not to hurt him, but the close contact was making him very uncomfortable. Within seconds, panic started to set in, and he had to quickly push her away.

Janet jerked back from him as though she'd been burned. "Did I hurt you?" she asked.

He didn't answer. He was too busy trying to convince himself there was nothing to be afraid of. This was Janet, not one of... _them_. He shuddered as another horrible memory passed through his mind.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Janet soothed as she stroked his hair. "It's just so good to have you back."

Daniel nodded and closed his eyes, the gentle motion of her hand serving to calm him down like nothing else could.

But then she took her hand away.

"I should send for Dr. Warner and Colonel O'Neill," she said as she slipped off the bed. "We weren't expecting you to wake up just yet, so they'll be very happy to..."

"No," Daniel said, reaching out for her hand. "Stay. Please... stay."

Janet looked surprised for a second, but then she smiled again. "Okay," she said. "I'll stay. They'll be back in a minute anyway." She sat back down beside him and squeezed his hand. "I certainly don't mind having some time alone with you first."

Daniel almost smiled at that, but the muscles in his face didn't seem to want to work. Instead, he lay there studying her face, trying to focus on his memories of her and block out all the rest. It wasn't easy. Memories of that place kept trickling into his mind like water through a crack in a dam. Still, each time he felt that one was going to take control of him, he'd give her hand a gentle squeeze and suddenly the memory didn't seem quite so real.

He felt something hard on her finger as he rubbed it with his thumb, and he looked down to see the gold band that she was wearing. The image of the moment he had given her that ring flashed before his eyes. "We're married," he said. The thought hadn't really occurred to him until then. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since they had been so happy together. He almost felt as though it had only been a dream.

"Yes, we are," Janet said. "Do you remember..."

"Where's mine?" he asked, purposefully ignoring her half-spoken question. He didn't want to think about what he remembered.

Janet looked confused for a moment, but then she looked down at his empty ring finger. "Oh... I think you left it at home," she said. "Would you like me to find it for you?"

"Not now," Daniel said hurriedly. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave him, for any reason.

"No, not now," she assured him. "Soon." She smiled again.

Daniel forced the corners of his mouth to turn up just a little in response. It was funny how he could feel so scared and broken, and yet so reassured at the same time.

"Listen, Daniel," Janet said gently a moment later, "I know you probably don't want to talk about it..."

Daniel cringed. He knew what she was about to ask. He couldn't do it. He had to lock it all away.

"It would really help us to help you if you could tell us where you were all this time. About what happened to you."

Daniel bit his lip and shook his head.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Anything you can tell us would help. Anything at all."

"No." He raised his hands to cover his ears as he began to hear their voices again. "No! Can't. Can't talk!"

_"Chak. Da. Minal kara."_

"Please, just let me go. Please!"

"Daniel! It's okay, just relax. Calm down!"

He felt their hands again, grabbing him, forcing him down, causing him pain. He heard their voices echoing inside his head, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get them to stop.

"Daniel, it's just a flashback. You're alright. It isn't real."

Who was that? It sounded like Jack.

"Come back to us, buddy. You're okay."

Just as quickly as they had taken hold of him, the images disappeared. He was in the infirmary again, surrounded by friendly faces. Janet, Jack, Teal'c, Sam, Dr. Warner... he could even see General Hammond's bald head just past Jack's shoulder. No hostile aliens. No cold slab of metal under his back. No pain or cause for fear.

"S...sorry," he said.

"It's alright, Daniel," Janet said as she took to stroking his hair again. "It's all over now."

All over... if only that were true.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack rubbed his face wearily. At the time, he'd thought volunteering for the bedside night shift was a good idea, but now he was beginning to regret it. Daniel had been pretty uptight all day, so everyone figured he'd be tormented with nightmares all night. Jack had offered to give Fraiser a break for the night simply because he felt he should be there to talk Daniel through whatever his subconscious forced him to relive, but here it was 3am and Daniel hadn't uttered so much as a peep. In fact, he was out like a light.

Part of him was thankful that Daniel was spared the whole night terrors aspect of his post-traumatic stress disorder, at least for one night, but the rest of him was pissed that he'd given up a good night's sleep for nothing.

He sighed as he shifted his weight a little and found that his butt had fallen asleep. Perfect. Just perfect.

"Jack?"

Great. Now he'd woken the guy up. "Hey, Daniel," he said. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Daniel just blinked sleepily at him.

"Try to go back to sleep, okay?" Jack said as he tried to find a position that didn't cut off his circulation quite as much.

"Not sleepy."

Jack studied Daniel closely for a second and forced his features to soften a little. "You sound sleepy."

Again, Daniel just blinked at him. That was starting to become unnerving.

"Daniel?"

"What?"

"Sleep."

Daniel swallowed and blinked a few more times before he spoke again. "Why, Jack?" he said.

"Why what? Why sleep?"

"Why did they hurt me?"

Oh God. All of Jack's internal organs sank down into his shoes at the pathetic tone in Daniel's voice. How the hell was he supposed to answer that? "I... I don't know," he said. "You haven't even told us who they are or what they did, so..." His voice trailed off as Daniel started to look distressed.

"You didn't stop them?"

Okay, now he was slightly confused. "Stop them?" he asked. "You escaped, remember? You showed up on the Alpha site..."

Daniel was shaking by this time, and he turned to grip his pillow with one hand and bury his face in the crook of his arm.

Damn, he just had to go and say the wrong thing. "Hey, it's okay," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and patting Daniel's arm reassuringly. "You got away. That's all that matters."

"No," Daniel said. His voice was muffled, but Jack was sure he was crying. "I forget."

Jack took a deep breath and moved his hand to awkwardly stroke Daniel's back. "I think that's pretty normal," he said. "Your mind is probably locking it all away until you can handle it."

"No!" Daniel cried. He suddenly flipped himself over onto his back and shoved Jack away.

Jack jumped to his feet and instinctively held his hands up in front of him. "Whoa, easy," he said as Daniel sat up and huddled against the headboard of the bed. He wasn't sure what he'd done to make Daniel react like that, but from the way he was hugging his knees to his chest and shooting Jack suspicious looks, he guessed that back-stroking had been a bad idea. Live and learn.

Daniel shook his head and rested his cheek against his legs. "I remember... I remember too much," he said with a shiver. "I forget... coming home."

Jack edged a little closer as Daniel spoke, until he was sure he wasn't going to get shoved away again. Then he lowered himself down onto the bed and said, "You remember who took you?"

Daniel shivered again and hugged his legs tighter. "It was them," he whispered.

"Them who? Someone I know?"

Daniel winced and shook his head.

Jack knew it was probably a bad idea to press the guy for more when he seemed traumatized enough already, but he had to know. "Can you describe them?"

It seemed that Daniel wasn't going to answer at first, but after a few more tremors ran through his frame, he took in a sharp breath and said, "Zombies."

Okay, that was definitely not the answer he was expecting to hear. Not that he was expecting any particular answer, but if he had been, that wouldn't have been it.

Still, Daniel had now curled up into the fetal position and was crying into his pillow, so Jack decided to leave further questioning for later. All Daniel needed right now was a sedative and a good night's sleep.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Zombies? He really said that?"

Colonel O'Neill shrugged his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair. "Trust me, Doc, no one was more surprised to hear it than I was. I thought for a second I was stuck in some kind of cheesy horror movie."

Janet wrapped her arms around her waist in an attempt to stop the involuntary shudder that was passing through her body. "Are you sure he was awake?" she asked. "He could have been dreaming or hallucinating or..."

"He was awake," Colonel O'Neill said. "I had the closest thing to a conversation with him that anyone's had since he came back. I asked him to describe who took him, and he said zombies."

"So, maybe they were aliens who looked like zombies," Sam suggested. "If that's the simplest word he could find to describe them..."

"We've seen some pretty weird things out there over the past five years," Colonel O'Neill said. "Is it really so hard to believe that they might have been actual zombies?"

There was silence for a moment as Janet and Sam exchanged longsuffering looks.

Colonel O'Neill huffed when he realized that he wasn't being taken seriously. "Look, if the man said he was taken by zombies..."

"Then in an effort to deal with the trauma, his brain has associated the unknown aliens who took him with something it could already understand," said a voice from the doorway.

Janet felt a wave of dread wash over her when she saw Mackenzie standing there. She knew right away that this wasn't going to be fun. Outwardly, though, she forced a smile and greeted him warmly. "Dr. Mackenzie. What can I do for you?"

"I just came to see how Daniel was doing," he said. He was about to continue when Colonel O'Neill cut him off.

"Came to see how he's doing, or came to see if you can find an excuse to drug him or lock him up?"

Janet's jaw dropped at this statement, though she knew she shouldn't actually be surprised. Everyone knew Colonel O'Neill had a huge problem with the psychiatric profession, Dr. Mackenzie most of all, and that he wasn't afraid to show it. "Colonel..."

"I'm not the enemy here, Colonel," Mackenzie said as calmly as he ever said anything. "I simply wish to keep an eye on his progress over the next few days, just to see how he deals with the trauma. If he seems to be having problems adjusting back to his normal life, there are various treatments we can try to help him along, but no one's suggesting we lock him up."

"Not yet," Colonel O'Neill muttered to himself.

Janet wasn't sure whether Mackenzie had heard him, as he was still standing on the other side of the room, but if he did, he gave no sign. He turned to Janet and asked, "Where is Dr. Warner? I'd like to have a word with him, if it's possible."

"He's in his office," Janet replied, with a gesture in the office's general direction.

Dr. Mackenzie quickly excused himself and left the room before Colonel O'Neill had a chance to say anything more.

As soon as he was gone, Janet turned to Colonel O'Neill and automatically settled into her battle stance. "There was no need for that, Colonel," she said. "He's only trying to do his job."

Colonel O'Neill rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I know," he said. "It just happens to be a job I despise. I know Daniel isn't too keen on Mackenzie, either, and the last thing we need right now is for memories of his rubber room to come flooding into his mind. He needs to be surrounded by people he trusts, not... Mackenzie."

"You have a point," Janet conceded. "But if you'd care to notice, Sir, Dr. Mackenzie didn't go anywhere near Daniel. I would imagine he knows just as well as you do what Daniel needs."

Colonel O'Neill didn't say anything more after that. Janet wasn't sure why she had been so quick to jump to Mackenzie's defense, but after spending the night tossing and turning in her bed at home wondering what Daniel was going through back here on the base, she was feeling rather tired and cranky this morning.

Thankfully, a welcome diversion soon presented itself. Teal'c appeared at the door of the room and said, "Dr. Fraiser, Daniel Jackson is awake and has requested your presence."

"Thank you, Teal'c," she said. She didn't waste any time in crossing the hall to Daniel's room and stepping inside.

Daniel was sitting up in his bed, looking wide awake and almost... normal. He had already begun to gain weight from his IV and the few nourishing meals they'd been able to get into him, he'd allowed Janet to help him shave the day before, and his pajamas hid the worst of his scars from view. The only thing that was blatantly different about him now was the look of pain and barely restrained fear that always lingered in his eyes.

Still, as soon as he saw her, some of that pain and fear melted away, and he forced a smile. That was definitely the Daniel she knew.

"Hey, Daniel," she said as she approached his bed. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better," he replied. "Where were you?"

"I went home for the night," Janet said apologetically. "Cassie needed me." She wasn't sure how he would react to the news that she'd left him overnight, so she breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't even bat an eye.

"Can you sit?" he said.

Janet smiled and sat down on the edge of his bed. "So, did Colonel O'Neill behave himself?" she asked.

Daniel smiled for real this time. "He was a very good babysitter," he said. "Though he did snore for a while."

Janet's heart soared as these words came out of his mouth. He was smiling, joking, and talking in complete sentences - so far removed from the way he'd been just twenty-four hours earlier. It was like watching a miracle unfold before her eyes. For a moment, she was afraid to speak in case she said the wrong thing and ruined it.

"Janet?"

She felt terrible when she realized she'd been sitting there staring at him for half a minute without saying a word. Daniel looked concerned about her, which in some ways filled her with joy, but in others made her feel guilty. "Sorry," she said. "You're just doing so well, I..." She stopped and gave her head a quick shake as she remembered what she'd planned to do as soon as she saw him. "I have something for you," she said as she reached into her pocket to retrieve the object. "It took me a little while to find it, but..."

"My ring," Daniel murmured as Janet held it out on the palm of her hand.

"That's right." Janet gently lifted his left hand from where it rested on his stomach and slipped the ring onto his finger. Then she bent down to press a kiss against his knuckles. "Back where it belongs," she said.

Daniel looked thoughtful as he stared down at their entwined hands. "I... I left it in your jewellery box," he said. "Cassie... I was taking Cassie to school... I ran upstairs to put it away."

Janet gave his hand an encouraging squeeze when he looked up to meet her gaze. She was surprised and a little concerned that he was relating the events leading up to his disappearance, but she didn't want to force him to stop if it was something he wanted to do.

"I couldn't take it off-world," he said. "I would have lost it." He looked back down for a long moment before he glanced up at her again and continued in a voice thick with emotion, "They couldn't take it. They took everything else. They... they took _me_... but not you."

Janet blinked hard against the tears that were filling her eyes and reached out her free hand to touch his face. It nearly broke her heart when Daniel closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "Who, Daniel?" she asked. She knew it was probably a mistake to question him further, but she also knew that she might never have another chance to find out what happened to him while he was actually willing to open up. "Who took you? What did they do to you?"

Daniel whimpered and clutched her hand tighter. "They did... things to me. Pain. That's all I remember." He squirmed and seemed to be fighting against panic. "Too much... it's too much," he moaned as he rolled his head from side to side. "Please... I don't want to..."

"Okay," Janet assured him, stroking his neck with one hand and squeezing his hand again with the other. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it right now."

Daniel sucked in a deep breath and nodded.

Janet's heart ached for him as she watched him try to pull himself back together. He was right - it was all just too much.

"I'm sorry," he said a few moments later.

"You have no reason to be sorry, Daniel," Janet said. "None of this was your fault."

Daniel shook his head. "Sorry I... I pushed you away."

Janet was confused for a second as she tried to think what he could be talking about. Then she remembered. "Yesterday?" she asked. "You don't have to apologize for that, sweetheart. If something makes you uncomfortable, you need to let us know."

"Okay." He took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "Can we try again?" he asked.

"Try what again?"

The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched upwards as he lifted his arms and held them out to her.

Now she understood. "Are you sure I won't hurt you?" she said hesitantly.

Daniel nodded.

That was good enough for her. Before she had time for second thoughts, Janet climbed up onto the bed next to him and lay down with her head on his chest and her arm draped across his stomach.

Once Daniel's arms were wrapped securely around her, if she closed her eyes and tuned out the sounds and smells of the infirmary, she could almost imagine that they were safe at home in their very own bed. It was enough to make her want to weep for joy.

"I missed you," Daniel whispered into her hair after a few moments passed in silence.

Janet lifted her head a little to look at his face. Those blue eyes... God, how she'd missed them. "I missed you, too," she said with a tearful smile. "I love you so much, Daniel." She kissed his cheek and then nestled her forehead in the crook of his neck.

So much had changed in such a short time, and the last two days had seemed like a whirlwind. The contrast between the previous day's stress and worry and the peacefulness of lying there in Daniel's arms, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his hand stroking her hair, was almost incomprehensible. Whatever Daniel had been through over the past month, and whatever trials they had yet to face, Janet knew she would cherish those few moments of contentment for the rest of her life.

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Clarity. It was the first time things had really seemed clear to his muddled mind for almost as long as he could remember. He soaked it in like a sponge.

Janet sighed and moved a little in his arms, tightening her hold around his waist. He couldn't believe how good it felt. For that one moment, he forgot everything that he'd been through. They were the only two people in the whole universe.

Until the whole universe seemed to explode.

Daniel gulped in a lungful of air and tried not to scream as he curled in on himself. He buried his face in his pillow and clapped his hands over his ears to muffle the overwhelming sound.

_"Medical team to the gateroom."_

The familiarity of those words was enough to break through to him. He took one hand away from his ear and peeked out from his pillow.

"...just an unscheduled off-world activation," Janet was saying. She looked almost as frantic as he felt, but her fear wasn't of the noise - it was for him.

"Janet?" He turned over onto his back and tried to calm his racing heart. "You... are you okay?" God, he hadn't even thought that she was lying right next to him when he'd freaked out and flipped over.

She ran a hand over her hair to smooth it back into place and smiled. "I'm fine," she said. "I jumped off the bed just in time."

He knew she was trying to make light of the situation, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. That sound... it sounded so much like...

Daniel shuddered as a memory of that place flashed through his mind. He gripped his blanket in his fists and gritted his teeth. He had to fight against it now. He was home. There was nothing here to be afraid of.

"Are _you_ okay?" Janet asked as she sat down beside him and started stroking his hair.

He didn't know how to answer that. Was he okay? His moment of clarity had ended, and now he just wasn't sure. "I'm sorry," he said.

Janet shook her head. "It's normal to be jumpy after going through something like..." She paused, like she wasn't sure how to finish her sentence. Well, of course she wasn't sure how to finish it. She didn't know what he'd been through. "Just try to relax," she finished.

Relax. Yes, he should try that. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the motion of Janet's hand as it moved across the top of his head. Stroke... stroke... stroke...

A sudden commotion out in the hall startled him into almost freaking out again, but he forced himself to keep his eyes closed and his breathing even. He knew in his mind that it was just whoever had come through the gate being taken to another room of the infirmary for care, but his body seemed to think it was _them_ again, and reacted accordingly. It was so frustrating that he just wanted to cry.

"I'm sorry for all the disturbances, Daniel," Janet said. "You know how the infirmary gets sometimes."

Somehow, this comment made him feel better. He did know what the infirmary was like. He knew because this was his _home_. These people were his family. If he had to remind himself of that ten times a minute until it finally sank in, he'd do it. He'd beat this thing. He'd come through it.

After all, he didn't really have a choice.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet was about ready to scream.

Daniel had just begun to show improvement when the damn off-world activation alert sounded again. And again. Five times in the last twenty-four hours. Every time it happened, Daniel would curl up in a ball and start shaking, and she just couldn't stand it anymore.

She rapped purposefully on General Hammond's open door but didn't wait for an answer before she spoke. "General Hammond, Sir, could I have a word with you?"

Hammond looked up from his paperwork with a slightly frustrated look on his face. "Kind of busy here, Doctor," he said with a sigh. "What's the problem?"

Janet stepped inside the office and got right down to business. "It's Daniel, Sir," she said. "The alarms that keep sounding in the infirmary are causing him great distress, so I..."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Doctor, but I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. As I'm sure you're aware, one of our teams ran into some trouble off-world yesterday, and as a result I've had to put the base on alert."

"I realize that, Sir," Janet said. "And that's exactly why I feel it would be wise to take Daniel elsewhere."

General Hammond narrowed his eyes as he studied her for a long moment after making this statement. "Elsewhere as in the academy hospital?" he asked.

Janet took a deep breath. "No, Sir. Elsewhere as in home."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't allow that, Doctor. We still haven't gotten to the bottom of where he's been and what's been done to him. Not to mention that he's suffering from PTSD and will require constant supervision."

"Forgive me, Sir, but I fail to see what kind of care he needs that I couldn't supply for him at home. He needs to be somewhere that makes him feel safe, somewhere where he can be surrounded by positive memories and people who love him."

"Are you saying this as a doctor, or as his wife?"

Janet opened her mouth to answer him, but wasn't quite sure what to say. She did feel as though taking Daniel home would help him to heal more quickly, but she also wanted to get him away from this place so that they could concentrate on getting their lives back in order.

"I do understand that this is a hard time for you," Hammond said, his voice gentle and sympathetic, "but we have to think about what's really best for Dr. Jackson."

"General, I fully believe that this _would_ be the best thing for Daniel," she insisted. "Not to mention that it would be safer, with all the activity that's going on around here right now."

Hammond sighed and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. After a moment or two of thought he said, "Alright... I will allow Dr. Jackson to be discharged under two conditions. That Dr. Warner agrees that this is a good idea, and that he and Dr. Mackenzie are kept apprised of Dr. Jackson's condition at all times."

Janet sighed in relief. "I'm sure that can be arranged, Sir," she said. "And I was planning to have Daniel see both Dr. Warner and Dr. Mackenzie regularly. Even more than once a day, if necessary."

She kicked herself for sounding so desperate when General Hammond shot her a longsuffering look. "Good," he said. "You're dismissed, Doctor."

"Thank you, Sir." Janet hurried from the room before he had a chance to change his mind.

She had barely gone five paces from his office, however, before the off-world activation alarm sounded yet again. She took off for the elevator as fast as her legs would carry her, and was back in the infirmary in well under a minute.

"Daniel?" she said breathlessly as she ran into his room. As she had predicted, he was curled up in a ball on his bed with his hands over his ears.

Colonel O'Neill was standing beside him, patting his back in a feeble attempt to reassure him. He looked over at Janet with a worried expression on his face when she came up behind him. "Did you talk to Hammond?" he asked.

Janet nodded. "He said it's okay as long as Dr. Warner agrees that it's in Daniel's best interest," she said.

"I don't think you'll have much of a problem there," Colonel O'Neill said.

Janet smiled. It was true - Warner was just as concerned about Daniel's almost constant state of panic as the rest of them.

"Is it over yet?" Daniel asked. His voice sounded strained, and his face was lined with exhaustion when he lifted it from his pillow to shoot Janet a piteous look.

Janet sat down on the edge of his bed and laid her hand on his arm. "We'll be taking you home soon, Daniel," she said softly. "Just hang in there, okay?"

"Okay," he said, and wearily lowered his head back onto his pillow.

"Would you like me to get you a sedative so you can get some sleep?" Janet asked. She hated to see him looking so exhausted after everything he'd been through already.

Daniel hesitated for a few seconds, and Janet could see that his eyes were filling with tears. He blinked heavily a few times, and then said, "Okay."

"Okay," Janet whispered as she bent to press a kiss to his temple. "I'll be back in a minute."

She exchanged knowing looks with Colonel O'Neill as she stood up and walked towards the door. They couldn't get him off the base fast enough.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Dammit," Cassie mumbled. She slammed her textbook shut and cradled her head in her hands. "I am so gonna flunk this test."

She'd been sitting there at the kitchen table trying to study for the past few hours, which was rare for her on a Saturday, but she just couldn't concentrate. Hadn't been able to concentrate for the past three days, as a matter of fact. If only "step-father escaping from his alien kidnappers" was a suitable excuse for having a couple weeks off school.

"Do you require assistance?"

Cassie jumped a little as Teal'c suddenly seemed to materialize at her side. She wished she could sneak around like he could. "No, thanks, Teal'c," she said. "Not unless you know something about the history of the Roman empire."

Teal'c gave her a small, apologetic smile. "I do not."

Cassie sighed. "Didn't think so. What's ironic is, this is the kind of stuff Daniel would have helped me with."

Teal'c sat down across from her and folded his hands together. "When is your examination?" he asked.

"Monday," Cassie replied. "So basically, I'm screwed."

Teal'c tilted his head to the side. "Perhaps not," he said, reaching out for her textbook and pulling it towards himself. He flipped it open and started scanning the pages.

Cassie smiled. "Really, Teal'c, it's okay. You don't have to..."

"Perhaps if you teach another about the subject, you, too, will learn."

"Um..." Cassie thought about this for a moment, but couldn't really come up with an argument. "O...kay."

Teal'c bowed his head and pushed the book back towards her.

Cassie took it, but the picture of ancient Roman ruins on the open page in front of her reminded her of Daniel. It almost brought tears to her eyes. "Teal'c... can I ask you something?" she said.

"Of course."

"What... what do you think happened to him... out there?"

Teal'c's facial expression didn't change much, but Cassie knew him well enough to know that her question had troubled him. "I do not know," he said.

Cassie was sick and tired of hearing that. Somebody had to know, or at least have an idea. What weren't they telling her? "Did they, like... torture him and stuff?" she asked, the mere thought of it making her squirm in her seat.

Teal'c seemed to be about to shake his head, but then he sighed and said, "It is most likely."

The pain in his voice was enough to make Cassie want to puke. "Why?" she asked angrily. "Why would they do that to Daniel? What has he ever done to anybody? Did he even know the guys that took him?"

"We are unsure," Teal'c said. "However, I am certain the answers will come in time. In the meantime, it is my duty to ensure that you do not 'flunk your test.'"

Cassie couldn't help but smile at the way he said "flunk." It was always fun to teach Teal'c a new word and see what he did with it.

She was about to get down to the task of teaching Teal'c all she knew about the Roman empire when the phone rang. "Saved by the bell," she muttered as she jumped up to get it. "Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Hey, sweetheart. It's Mom."

"Mom, hi," Cassie said. "How's Daniel?"

"Physically, he's doing a lot better," her mom said tentatively. "But there are some problems on the base right now that are really bothering him, so I've received permission to bring him home. We should be there sometime this afternoon."

Cassie could hardly believe her ears. "He's... he's coming home?"

"Yes, he is." She could plainly hear the relief in her mother's voice. "Is everything okay there? How's Teal'c treating you?"

"Everything's great," Cassie said. "Teal'c's helping me with my homework. Is there anything you need us to do before Daniel gets here?"

"No, I don't think so. Just make sure there's no clutter in the living room. I'll set him up on the couch when we get home so he can rest but still be with us."

"Okay." Cassie felt both excitement and anxiety building up inside her as she debated whether or not to ask the question that had been on her mind ever since she'd first been told about Daniel's condition. She decided to just take a deep breath and ask. Couldn't hurt anything, right? "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Will... will I be able to hug him when he gets home? Or... you know... would that upset him or something?"

Her mother was silent for a few seconds, and for a moment Cassie wondered whether the line had been disconnected somehow. Then she heard her sniff. "I think he'd like that," she said. "He's feeling a little delicate still, but he's looking forward to seeing you again."

Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay," she said. "I guess I'll see you later, then."

"I'll try to phone again before we leave, so you'll know when to expect us."

"Okay. Bye, Mom."

"Bye, sweetie."

Cassie gently hung up the phone, and then pumped her fist in the air. "Yes!" she cried happily. "Teal'c, Daniel's coming home!" she said as she danced over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Isn't that great?"

"Indeed."

Cassie laughed, not at what he'd said but at the amount of emotion he was able to pack into that one little word. "Maybe you won't have to help me study after all," she joked. "Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to start. It'll pass the time until he gets here, at least."

Teal'c smiled as she sat down again. "Where should we begin?"

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"It... feels good to be wearing real clothes again."

Jack smiled and patted Daniel on the back. He could tell that his friend was nervous about leaving the base, yet relieved at the same time. He was holding himself together remarkably well under the circumstances. "Don't worry, you'll grow into them again," Jack said when he noticed that Daniel was wrapping his jacket tightly around himself. He seemed lost in the baggy clothes that a few weeks ago had fit him perfectly.

"Yeah," Daniel said quietly.

"Here you go, Daniel," Fraiser said as she entered the room pushing a wheelchair. "Hop in."

Daniel got into the wheelchair without a word, which earned a raised eyebrow from Jack. Any other time Daniel had been escorted out of the infirmary in a wheelchair, he had at the very least politely told them that he didn't need it, and at the very worst argued for half an hour over whether or not it was necessary. He really must be feeling rough if he just climbed into it without hesitation.

"Hey, Sam," Daniel said when he noticed Carter standing in the doorway of the infirmary. "Are you coming, too?"

Carter smiled and shrugged. "If you have no objections."

"Sure. We can have a party," Daniel said. His voice was weary yet dripping with sarcasm, so nobody really knew how to take it. They all exchanged puzzled looks as Daniel closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

Fraiser made a gesture of helplessness with her hands. "He's tired," she mouthed. "Are you ready to go?" she said out loud.

"Yeah," Daniel replied.

Jack took hold of the wheelchair's handles and started wheeling him out of the infirmary. He had to fight against the urge to race down the hall towards the elevator, as part of him was afraid there would be another unscheduled gate activation or something before they could get Daniel out of there.

Just as they reached the elevator, though, General Hammond came out of it. "Dr. Jackson," he said. "I'm glad I caught you before you left."

Jack could see Fraiser stiffen, and a look of anxiety passed over her features, like she was afraid Hammond was going to tell them Daniel couldn't leave after all. He had to admit, the thought crossed his own mind for a second, until Hammond held his hand out for Daniel to shake.

Daniel seemed hesitant to take it, but at a quick flick to his shoulder from Jack, he did anyway.

"I hope you're feeling better soon, Son," Hammond said. "If you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask."

"Thank you, General," Daniel said as he withdrew his hand. "And thank you for letting me go home."

Hammond smiled. "Take care of yourself, Dr. Jackson," he said. Then he nodded to the rest of them and stepped over to the side of the hall so they could enter the elevator.

"So, here's the plan," Jack said once they were moving. "Carter's going to drive Daniel's car back, I'll drive my truck so I can give her a ride back to the base afterwards, and Fraiser and Daniel, you'll be going in Fraiser's car."

"Does this really have to be such a production?" Daniel said. "I don't care about my car. It's not like I'll be allowed to drive it anyway."

Jack knew what he was really trying to say - he didn't want Jack and Carter to tag along. Well, tough bananas. "Fine," Jack said casually. "Then Carter can ride with me."

Carter thwacked his arm to get his attention and then shot him an exasperated look.

Jack just shrugged in return.

"Well, _I_ care about your car, Daniel," Fraiser said. "It's been sitting there for a month. I'd like to have it back in our garage where it belongs."

Jack smirked at Carter. Why did everyone always think he didn't know what he was doing?

Daniel sighed as the elevator came to a stop, the doors opened, and Jack started pushing him out again. "Fine," he said. "Just don't change the radio station."

Carter grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it," she said.

Jack gave Daniel's shoulder a pat and a gentle squeeze to show that he was proud of him for going along with it. He'd been in Daniel's place before, when he'd returned home after spending what seemed like a lifetime in an Iraqi prison, so he knew that all Daniel wanted right now was to be left alone. It was going to be hard as hell for the guy over the next while, so he wanted to make it clear up front that his friends were behind him all the way, whether he wanted them to be or not.

Once they were out of the building, Jack winked at Fraiser and said in a loud voice, "Race you ladies to the car."

"Jack! No!" Daniel shouted. He sounded half-panicked, but more angry than afraid.

"Relax, Daniel. I'm kidding."

"You'd better be," Daniel said, folding his arms and slumping a little in what appeared to be a sulk.

Jack chuckled. Now that was the Daniel he knew.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"We'll meet you guys there," Colonel O'Neill said. Then he closed the car door and jogged off to his truck.

Janet looked over at Daniel and smiled, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring at his seatbelt. "Do you need some help with that?" Janet asked.

Daniel shifted his eyes to look over at her, but then he blinked and shook his head. "No," he said. He tugged on the belt and pulled it across himself, but he hesitated when he came to buckling it in.

Janet grew concerned when she saw that his hands were shaking. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Daniel seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating, his chest heaving with every rapid breath. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the seatbelt so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Janet leaned over and gently rested her hand on his. "Daniel..."

"No," he grunted, opening his eyes and glaring at the buckle with a look of anger and determination. "It's just a damn seatbelt." He quickly clicked it into place and yanked on the shoulder strap to make it as loose as possible. Then he let out a deep breath and looked over at Janet.

Janet smiled softly and touched his arm. "Good job," she said.

He returned the smile, at least to some degree, and leaned his head back as she started the car and began to drive.

Somehow, his half-hearted smile just broke Janet's heart that little bit more. She wished she knew what was going through his head every time something triggered a flashback. Had he been tied down? She could only assume that he had, judging by the few things they already knew had been done to him. What about the unscheduled activation alarm? What memories did that bring back for him? He seemed to be reacting to much more than just the sudden noise.

God, she wished he would talk to her about what he'd been through. She could only hope that his visit with Mackenzie the next day would result in a few of their questions being answered.

Not that she'd told Daniel about the appointment, of course. She felt it would be easier on him if he wasn't given time beforehand to worry about it. At least, she hoped it would.

Daniel seemed to fall asleep during the drive, but he opened his eyes once the car came to a stop outside their house, and he unfastened his seatbelt right away.

"Hold on," Janet said as she quickly unfastened her own and opened her door. "I'll help you out." She climbed out of the car and waved to Sam as she pulled Daniel's car into their driveway and up to the garage. Then she nodded to Colonel O'Neill, who was parking his truck in front of Janet's car. As much as she wanted to have some time alone with Daniel, she was immensely thankful for their help in bringing him home. Daniel may not have felt that he needed them there, but she sure did.

Daniel had already opened his door and planted his feet on the ground by the time Janet reached him. She held her arm out as he stood up, just in case he was a little unsteady on his feet, but he didn't seem to need any help. Still, she closed his door and linked her arm with his as they walked towards the house. The doctor in her was never satisfied unless she felt she could help in some way.

Cassie and Teal'c were standing on the porch as they approached, and Janet glanced up at Daniel to see that he was smiling in return to Cassie's joyful wave. The girl couldn't contain herself then - she galloped down from the porch and ran towards them.

Janet felt Daniel stiffen at her sudden movements, but visibly he didn't waver. "Hi, Cassie," he said as she bounded up to them.

"Oh God, I'm so glad you're okay!" she said as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Janet was the one who came close to panicking then. "Be gentle with him, Cass," she said, trying to make her tone sound light.

Daniel made a sound that was very close to a laugh as he hugged the girl back. "She's okay," he said.

"Aww, now this is a Kodak moment," Colonel O'Neill said from just behind Janet.

Janet turned to look at him and had to laugh at the goofy grin on his face. Cassie peeled herself off Daniel, and they joined in the laughter, too.

It went way beyond a Kodak moment for Janet.

She felt almost as though she were walking in a dream as she ushered Daniel into the house and everyone sat down together in the living room. Aside from the fact that Daniel still looked gaunt and exhausted and stayed uncharacteristically quiet, it was almost like old times.

After a few minutes of friendly chatter, however, Janet noticed that Daniel was starting to droop a little. Everyone was subtly watching him for signs that he'd had enough, so it wasn't long before Colonel O'Neill stood up and announced that he had to get back to the base.

Sam and Teal'c followed his lead, quickly saying goodbye to Daniel and heading for the door. Janet saw them out, careful to thank each of them for their help not only today, but over the last few weeks as well. She felt so much better knowing she could call on them for anything at any time.

"What time is Warner coming?" Colonel O'Neill asked in a low voice as they stepped out onto the porch.

"He said he'd stop in on his way home from work," Janet said, "so it could be any time after five."

Colonel O'Neill nodded. "And Mackenzie?"

"Tomorrow morning."

He grimaced and gave her a casual salute. "Good luck," he said, and then trotted down the steps and headed for his truck.

Janet stayed out on the porch long enough to wave at the three of them as they drove away before she went back inside. She smiled at the scene that met her eyes when she entered the living room. Cassie was helping Daniel stretch out on the couch, providing him with a pillow and covering him with an afghan.

"How's it going in here?" she asked. "Do you need anything, Daniel?"

Daniel smiled weakly and turned onto his side so he could cuddle the afghan up to his chin. "Cassie's taking good care of me," he said.

"Yeah, soak it up while you can," Cassie said. "I'm a teenager. The novelty of having you home will soon wear off for me."

"Gee, thanks," Daniel said. He was obviously trying to keep up the teasing banter, but Janet was concerned about how tired he looked.

"Cassie, why don't you go put the kettle on," she said. "Make Daniel come chamomile tea."

"What, no coffee?" Cassie said in mock astonishment. "Daniel, are you okay with this?"

Daniel chuckled softly. "It's fine," he said.

"Okay, if you say so." Cassie threw up her hands in surrender and went through to the kitchen.

Once they were alone, Janet sat down on the edge of the couch and touched the back of her hand to Daniel's forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Headache," Daniel said in almost a whisper as his eyes drifted closed. "Tired."

"You're a little bit warm," Janet said, moving her hand to cup the side of his face. "It was probably too soon for you to leave the infirmary, but..."

"No," Daniel said, reaching his hand up to take hold of hers. "I'm glad I'm home. It's quieter here."

"We'll try to make you as comfortable as we can," Janet said, "so just try to relax and recoup, okay?"

Daniel nodded and took a deep breath. "I just... keep getting this feeling that this is a dream, and any second now I'll wake up back _there_ again."

Janet felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart. "That won't happen, Daniel," she said, bending down to kiss his forehead. "I promise. Now get some rest."

"Okay."

Before Janet could stand up and remove her hand from his light grasp, Daniel had already fallen fast asleep.

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Daniel awoke from a dreamless sleep to the sound of voices. As usual, it took him a few seconds to figure out where he was and whether he was allowed to move or make a sound. When he realized one of the voices was Janet's, he remembered. He was home.

He sighed and rubbed his face as he rolled over onto his back. Now that he'd regained his bearings, he could tell that it was Janet and Cassie having a semi-hushed conversation in the kitchen. He smiled as he heard Janet laughing softly over something Cassie had said. It felt nice knowing it was just the three of them now.

After a minute or two of lying there listening to the comforting sounds around him, he suddenly realized how hungry he was. That was something new - he hadn't actually felt hungry in a long time. It was enough to finally convince his body that it was time to get up.

It only took him a second to find his glasses, which were sitting on the coffee table beside the couch, and once he'd slipped them on, he dragged himself up onto his feet. His legs still felt a little weak, but he was sure that wouldn't last long now that he was home. He always felt better once he was home. Still, he kept one hand on the wall as he walked through to the kitchen, just in case. He wasn't used to walking on his own yet, as someone had always been hanging on his arm whenever he'd had to walk any short distance over the past few days. He'd almost forgotten how to do it alone.

"Daniel! What are you doing up? If you needed anything, you should have called."

"I'm fine," Daniel said. He wasn't sure whether to be amused or annoyed by his wife's mother-henning, but he was too tired to show either emotion anyway. He sank down into the chair across from Cassie and leaned forward against the table. "I'm just hungry."

"Well, why don't you go back to the couch, and I'll bring you something?" Janet said, getting to her feet and taking hold of his arm as if to drag him there herself.

Daniel jerked it away from her. "I'm here now," he said. "I may as well eat it here."

Janet seemed to disapprove, but her expression soon softened, and she touched the side of his face gently. "What would you like?" she asked.

"Um..." Daniel licked his lips as he thought of all the possibilities. It had been so long since he'd had real food that he'd almost forgotten what some things tasted like.

There was one thing he remembered clearly, though, and it seemed to be the only thing he really, truly wanted. "Peanut butter and jelly?" he said plaintively. He wasn't sure how Janet would react, but that was what he wanted. He had nothing against her cooking - in fact, her cooking had been one of the deciding factors when he was debating with himself whether or not to open himself up and risk proposing to her - so he hoped and prayed that she wouldn't take it that way.

He need not have worried. Janet grinned and bent down to kiss his forehead. "That's my Daniel," she said. "Coming right up."

Once Janet's back was turned, Cassie slipped over into the seat beside him and leaned towards him almost conspiratorially. "Can I... can I ask you something?" she said.

"Sure."

"Do you remember the last thing I said to you before you... you know... before."

Daniel swallowed hard. He hated it when he tried to remember things from those days. He shoved away the flashes of _that place_ that sprang to his mind and focused on his last moments with Cassie. He'd given her a ride to school. Something she'd said had made him feel embarrassed and ashamed. He shuddered as it occurred to him that just that short time ago, he hadn't even known what embarrassment and shame were really like. He cleared his throat. "I... you... you said you'd heard me and your mom..." he said, careful to keep his voice low so Janet couldn't hear his words.

Cassie winced. "Yeah, that," she said. "I'm really sorry, Daniel. I was just yanking your chain. I've felt so bad about it ever since, because the last thing I said to you was a lie, and..."

"Don't worry about it," Daniel interrupted her babbling. "I... I'd forgotten... until just now."

Cassie smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Daniel," she said. "I really am glad you're home now." Then she rose to her feet and said, "I'm gonna take my homework upstairs, okay, Mom?"

"Okay, Sweetie," Janet said. "I'll call you when dinner's ready." She brought Daniel's sandwich over to the table as Cassie bounced out of the room. "There you are," she said. "One PB&J, as requested."

"Thank you," Daniel said. He tried to force a smile for her, but for some reason, his conversation with Cassie had left him feeling slightly shaken. He really had to get past this. He hated that such a simple conversation had taken him right back to that place yet again. He was home, for God's sake. Safe and sound. Would he never be free?

"Are you alright?" Janet asked.

"Fine," he said. He quickly took a bite of the sandwich so he wouldn't have to say any more, but to his disappointment, he found that he'd lost his appetite.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet was exhausted by the time she plodded up the stairs to bed. It had been a long day, though not an unpleasant one. She was just in desperate need of a good night's sleep.

She quietly opened the door and tiptoed into the bedroom without making a sound. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb Daniel. The whole point of having him home was so he could rest without interruption. She took a moment to check on him, and when she was satisfied that he was sleeping comfortably, she tiptoed over to the adjoining bathroom to do her nightly ablutions.

It didn't occur to her until she saw how pale she looked in the mirror that she was nervous about tonight. She'd been around people with post-traumatic stress disorder before, and she knew how terrifying it could be for them once the lights went out. So far, though, Daniel hadn't seemed to have any nightmares, and Dr. Warner had commented on how well he was adjusting to being at home again when he'd come to see him that evening.

And he really was. Aside from the fact that he'd had very little appetite, Daniel had seemed tired but content throughout the day. He seemed to be trying to get back into their usual routine, and had even sat with Cassie for a while, trying to help her with her homework. When Warner had stopped by, Daniel had sat patiently through the routine tests he wanted to run, even though Janet could see he was still uncomfortable being poked and prodded. Warner had left some sedatives for him just in case, but they hadn't been needed. Daniel had complained of a slight headache at around 8pm, and had gone to bed with no problems at all.

Janet was thankful that Daniel was doing so well, but part of her knew it probably wouldn't last forever. It all had to sink in for him sometime. Still, that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy this reprieve while it lasted.

Once she was finished in the bathroom, Janet was careful to turn the light out before opening the door and tiptoeing over to the bed again. Daniel was still asleep, curled up on his side facing her side of the bed. Janet tried not to jostle him too much while she slipped under the covers, and to her relief he didn't stir.

She turned on her side facing him as she settled into a comfortable position, and once again she was overwhelmed at the thought that he was actually there. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to share a bed with him. Since they hadn't wanted to wait very long for their wedding once they'd decided to take the plunge, they hadn't even bothered to move in together beforehand. Therefore, they'd been apart longer than they'd been together.

After a minute or two of watching him sleep, Janet's eyelids started to droop. She was so tired that she'd expected to fall asleep right away, but suddenly her body jerked awake again. She sighed and tried to get into a more comfortable position without actually moving, but a strange sound soon caught her attention.

Daniel was wheezing.

Janet propped herself up on one elbow to get a better look at his face, but she couldn't see much in the dim moonlight. She hated to wake him, but the sound was getting louder with every breath he took. It wasn't just ordinary snoring, that was for sure. He seemed to be straining for every breath.

"Daniel?" she whispered. When he didn't move, she touched him gently on the shoulder and repeated, "Daniel?"

No reaction.

She reminded herself that she had to keep her cool. He was probably just in a deep sleep, after all. Dr. Warner had given him a clean bill of health just a few hours earlier, so he couldn't be deathly ill already.

Still, she wanted him to wake up, and she wanted him to wake up _now_.

She tapped his cheek and said louder, "Daniel?"

Daniel jerked, opened his eyes wide, and gulped in a lungful of air.

"Daniel, it's okay!" Janet said as he started backing away from her. "It's just Janet."

He rolled over onto his back and panted hard as he tried to get himself back under control. "Wha... what the hell did you do that for?" he said between breaths.

"You were having trouble breathing," Janet said. "I couldn't wake you up..."

"I was asleep!" he snapped.

Janet's jaw dropped in surprise. He'd never snapped at her like that before. "I'm sorry," she said as she took to stroking his arm. She could have kicked herself for waking him up from such a deep sleep in the way that she had, but she couldn't have just watched him struggle for breath without doing something. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"You scared the crap out of me," he said more quietly, rubbing his face with his hands. His breathing started to even after a few seconds, and there were no longer any signs of distress or wheezing. The anger and irritation had also disappeared when he turned his face to look at her. "Hi," he said.

Janet smiled in relief. "Hi," she returned. "I'm really sorry..."

"Don't worry about it." He turned onto his side again to face her and sighed. "I love this bed," he said. "I've always slept well here."

Janet smiled again and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "It's good to have you back in it," she said as she lay down again.

Daniel returned her smile sleepily and reached out a hand to cover one of hers. "Goodnight," he said, the word slurred as his eyes fluttered closed.

Janet lay watching him for a few more minutes to be sure he wasn't still having trouble breathing, but after a while she started to wonder whether she'd just imagined it. She made a mental note to mention it the next time she saw Dr. Warner, and finally let herself drift off to sleep.

To be continued...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"He's what?"

"He's just coming to talk to you, Daniel. There are things we need to know about what happened to you, and I think Dr. Mackenzie could really help..."

Daniel clenched his jaw and his fists. "I told you, I don't remember much about what happened. I don't _want_ to remember what happened."

Janet came to stand behind his chair and laid her hands on his shoulders. "I know," she said. "But you know how this works, sweetheart. When we're dealing with unknown beings like the ones that took you, it's important that we know everything we can about them in case we come across them again."

Daniel shuddered at the thought of ever encountering those aliens again. He pushed his breakfast plate away, no longer feeling even the slightest bit hungry. "So what I want doesn't mean anything, is that what you're saying?"

Janet sighed and pulled a chair over to sit close beside him. Then she leaned forward and put her hand on his leg. "Daniel," she said. "If Dr. Mackenzie asks you a question that you don't feel comfortable answering, all you have to do is tell him so. He just wants to help you. That's all any of us want."

Daniel stared straight ahead, picking up his fork and fiddling with the food on his plate. He knew deep down that Janet was right, but even the thought of having to talk about what happened to him made him want to run right out the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

Too bad he would never be able to run fast enough to get away from himself.

Janet reached her hand up to stroke his hair. "You'll be okay," she said quietly. "I'll stay with you if you like."

"No," Daniel said without looking at her. "I don't want you to."

"Okay. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable."

Daniel didn't respond to that. He'd feel more comfortable if he didn't have to see Mackenzie.

Cassie bounced into the room then anyway, saving Daniel from having to continue this conversation. "I'm going over to Dominic's, okay?" she said to Janet. "I'll be back by lunchtime."

"Are you sure you have time for that?" Janet asked in her mother-knows-best tone. "You have that test tomorrow."

"Yeah, but Daniel helped me study last night," Cassie reasoned. "I figure he bought me at least enough time to watch one movie. Please?"

Janet sighed. "Alright. Lunchtime, no later."

Cassie grinned and kissed her mother on the cheek. "On the dot," she said in a sing-song voice. "Bye, Daniel."

Daniel raised his hand in a feeble wave, but she was already gone.

Before she reached the door, however, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" she yelled.

Daniel winced, more from knowing who was there than from Cassie's loud voice. "Janet..."

Janet stood up and gave his shoulders a quick squeeze. "I know you can do this, Daniel," she said. She bent down to kiss the top of his head, and then walked out of the room to greet Dr. Mackenzie at the door.

Daniel was very tempted to bolt out the back door while no one was looking, but for some reason his legs wouldn't move. All he could do then was brace himself for the inevitable.

"How are you doing today, Daniel?"

It was always bad news when Mackenzie dropped his salutation. "I'm just fine, Eric," he said. "How are you?"

Janet shot him a disapproving look, but Mackenzie just smiled. "I'm doing pretty well, thanks," he said. "Shall we move somewhere a little more comfortable, or do you want to stay here in the kitchen?"

Daniel tested his legs, and sure enough the traitors were working just fine now. "Living room's good," he mumbled as he got to his feet. If he had to go through this agony, he may as well be sitting on a nice, soft couch. That's why they put them in psychiatrists' offices, after all.

The three of them walked through to the living room, and Janet helped to settle Daniel onto the couch before she excused herself and disappeared back into the kitchen. Daniel had a feeling she'd be hovering close by in case he started to break down or something. Somehow he didn't find that comforting.

"Before we get started, Daniel," Mackenzie said as he sat down in a chair across from him, "I just want you to know that I am not here to determine your level of sanity, as many would believe."

_"Exchange the word 'many' for 'Jack,'"_ Daniel thought.

"I'm simply going to ask you a few questions - things that might be uncomfortable for you to talk about, but that are important for us to know so that we can better understand what you went through, and therefore better understand how to help you."

Daniel squirmed in his seat. He wasn't going to enjoy this. Not one little bit.

"Just remember, Daniel, there are no right or wrong answers here, and if you feel you can't answer any of the questions I ask, feel free to tell me where to shove it."

Daniel blinked at Mackenzie in surprise, and had to return the smile that was aimed his way. "I might take you up on that," he said.

Mackenzie chuckled. "Alright," he said, looking down at the clipboard in his hands, "let's begin at the beginning, shall we? What's the last thing you remember before leaving Earth on the day of your disappearance?"

Daniel swallowed hard in an attempt at keeping his breakfast down where it belonged. He cleared his throat and started twisting his wedding band around and around as he thought about what he should say. "I... I remember taking Cassie to school," he said. "Then I went to the base... I was late for the briefing... I... I talked to Janet in the infirmary... and then we left."

"Okay." Mackenzie jotted something down. "Then what happened?"

Daniel took a deep breath. "Then... I spent some time looking at the artifact on P... um... on the other world..."

_"So, what... you're not going to ask for more time to poke around at this thing?"_

Daniel shook his head. "No, everything I need is in the writings on each side," he said. "I can work on the translations back at the base." He sent a sly look in Jack's direction and added, "Besides, what's the point? I know you'd just say no anyway."

"You never know," Jack argued. "I might surprise you."

Daniel leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and began massaging his temples. His breathing was becoming erratic, and he didn't want to lose control as he had every other time he'd thought about his ordeal. Not yet.

"You were taking rubbings from the artifact," Mackenzie said, his voice soft and comforting.

"Yes," Daniel rasped. "God, it seems like so long ago..."

_"I'm done."_

"You want to get back to her that badly, don't you?" Jack said knowingly.

Daniel tried to hide his grin, but failed miserably. "Maybe," he said as he closed his pack and stretched the kinks out of his back. "Or maybe I really do just want to get to work on these translations."

"I was looking forward to coming home," Daniel said. His eyes threatened to fill with tears, but he tried to turn his emotions off so they wouldn't flow. This tale would be so much easier to tell if he could just feel numb, and let the words fall out of his mouth without them actually meaning anything to him.

_"Dial us home, Teal'c."_

Daniel looked down at the artifact one last time as Sam followed Jack over to the gate. He was just in time to see a light as small as Janet's penlight flash, and suddenly everything was dark.

"You say a light flashed?" Mackenzie broke into his thoughts.

Daniel nodded.

"It was coming from the device?"

"Yes."

Mackenzie flipped through the pages on his clipboard. "The scientists studying the device found no lights, Daniel," he said.

"It was there," Daniel said blankly. "Only for a split second, but it was there. I don't know whether it's a homing device or a teleportation device, but there's more to that artifact than we could see."

Mackenzie gazed at him for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright. I'll be sure to let Major Carter know about this... light," he said. "Please continue. There was darkness?"

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered what happened next.

_"Hello? Is anyone there? Jack? Sam? Teal'c?"_

Daniel held his hands out in front of him and turned around in an awkward circle as he tried to get his bearings. Where the hell was he? Were the rest of SG-1 here somewhere? What was that humming sound? If he didn't know better, he could swear it was the sound of an engine.

Oh God...

"It was a spaceship?"

Daniel nodded as he rocked back and forth, his head in his hands. "It was moving," he said. "I could feel it moving, but I couldn't see anything. I left my flashlight in my pack. I couldn't see..."

_A wall. He finally felt a wall, and moved towards it in relief. It was the most nauseating feeling being stranded in the middle of a great black expanse, not knowing how big or how small your surroundings were._

He kept his hands on the wall as he slowly walked along to his left, feeling around for a light switch or a window or... hell, anything. Anything but blackness and a cold, smooth wall that he couldn't see.

Then his shoulder bumped into another wall. Good, now he was getting somewhere. He moved his hands over to the new wall, and immediately felt that this wall was different. This wall was covered in shapes. Squares. Buttons.

He started to randomly press them, hoping none of them would open an airlock or something equally as deadly. One of them had to turn on the lights.

Or open the door.

He jumped and stepped back as part of the wall suddenly moved, and light poured into the dark room. When he realized that it wasn't an airlock but an exit, he breathed a sigh of relief and went towards it.

And that's when he saw it for the first time.

Daniel jumped to his feet. "Please, I don't want to say anymore," he said, wringing his hands anxiously. He could feel the sweat pouring down his face, probably accompanied by tears, and he could barely catch his breath.

"It's alright, Daniel," Mackenzie said calmly. "You're safe, you're home. There's no one here to hurt you."

"I don't care," Daniel snapped. "I... I'm not ready. I can't... I can't do this."

"Daniel..."

He didn't listen. He couldn't listen to another word. He wanted to forget. God, he'd die if he couldn't just _forget_.

Without another word, he ran from the room and up the stairs. He didn't hesitate when he heard Mackenzie call his name. He didn't turn around when he heard Janet coming up the stairs behind him. He needed to get away. He needed to hide.

He ran into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

To be continued...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Janet chased up the stairs after Daniel as fast as she could, but his legs were much longer, and he was taking two steps at a time. He ran into their bedroom and slammed the door before she'd even reached the top.

"Daniel?" she called once she got to the door. She opened it slowly and stepped inside. "Daniel?"

Dr. Mackenzie came up behind her, and the two of them cautiously entered the room. Daniel was nowhere to be seen.

Janet craned her neck to see over the bed, but he wasn't hiding on the other side of it. The closet door was open, and he obviously wasn't in there, either. That left the bathroom.

"Daniel?" she said as she poked her head around the bathroom door. The room was dark and looked empty, but she could hear Daniel's ragged breathing. "Are you okay?" she asked, approaching the bathtub slowly so as not to startle him.

He didn't respond.

She moved the shower curtain aside and saw that Daniel was sitting in the tub with his knees tucked close to his chest and his hands over his ears. She glanced over her shoulder at Mackenzie, unsure of what to do for him.

Mackenzie nodded and motioned for her to talk to Daniel. It couldn't really hurt at this point.

Janet sat down on the edge of the bathtub and touched the top of Daniel's head. "Daniel?" she said. "What's wrong?"

"I can't," he groaned. "Can't talk. Can't."

Janet looked up at Mackenzie for an explanation. "What happened?" she asked.

"He was telling me about the day he was taken," Mackenzie said quietly. "He'd just reached the part where he was transported to a ship, when..."

"Stop!" Daniel cried. He'd brought his hands down from his ears, and was glaring up at them in anger.

Janet laid a soothing hand on his forehead. "Stop what, Daniel?"

"Stop talking," he said. "I... I need... I need to... think."

"Okay."

The look of confusion and fear on Daniel's face made her anxious enough to comply with his wishes. She and Dr. Mackenzie fell completely silent for the next minute or two while Daniel intermittently rocked back and forth, pulled on his hair, rubbed his face, and held his head in his hands. She was just about to speak again when Daniel leaned back to rest his head against the wall and sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. He looked and sounded utterly spent.

"Don't be," Janet said, reaching down to take one of his hands in hers. "We know this is hard for you."

Daniel rolled his head from side to side. "I can't do this," he said. "I can't tell you about them. I can't even think about them. I just can't."

Mackenzie cleared his throat and said, "I hate to bring this up so soon, but... there are other ways of extracting this information from your mind without you having to consciously focus on your experiences. Hypnosis, for example."

Daniel glared at him, fear and rage burning in his eyes. "No," he said with finality. "You're not taking my mind away. _They_ did that. The zombies. Not again. No."

"It's okay, Daniel," Janet reassured him. "No one's going to force you into anything." She turned to look at Mackenzie. "Right, Dr. Mackenzie?"

He held his hands up and shook his head. "No, of course not."

Daniel kept his eyes on Mackenzie for quite a bit longer than necessary. Janet could tell that he didn't trust him.

"How about you come on out of there now?" she asked. Her backside was getting sore, and Daniel didn't look all too comfortable, either.

Daniel shook his head and pulled his knees tighter against his chest. "Not yet."

"What exactly are you afraid of, Daniel?" Mackenzie asked as he perched himself on the lid of the toilet. "You know that you're safe here."

"I feel them."

Janet and Mackenzie exchanged wary glances. The way Daniel whispered those words made a chill go down Janet's spine. "Feel who?" she asked.

"Them," he said. "Zombies."

"Daniel..." Mackenzie said, quite obviously suppressing a sigh. "You do know they weren't really zombies, don't you?"

"Yes, they are," Daniel said, shrinking in on himself as though he were hoping to fade away to nothing. "Living dead." He shuddered. "When I talk about them, I feel them coming for me. Please don't make me talk about them." He leaned forward and wrapped his arm around Janet's middle, burying his face in her lap.

Janet stroked his hair and looked helplessly over at Mackenzie. "What should we do?" she mouthed.

Mackenzie shook his head. "Wait," he mouthed back.

Janet sighed. She hated waiting.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Cassie was quite proud of herself for arriving home on time for once. Twelve noon on the dot. Not that it had been her idea - Dominic's mother had insisted he go with his parents to some kind of family party at his grandparents' house that afternoon, so she'd had to leave earlier than she'd wanted to. That didn't mean she couldn't take the credit for being an obedient daughter, though.

Well, she would have taken the credit if it had been offered. As soon as she walked in the door and started taking off her coat, however, her mother rushed down the hall and grabbed her by the arm. "Shhh!" she commanded.

"What?" Cassie whispered indignantly. "I didn't do..."

"Don't wake Daniel."

Janet nodded her head in the direction of the living room, so Cassie peeked through the open doorway. Sure enough, there was Daniel, fast asleep on the couch.

Fast asleep inside a tight cocoon of blankets on the couch, to be exact. The only part of his body that she could actually see was his face, and it was soaking wet with sweat and possibly tears. She didn't have to be a psychologist to know that he'd been scared about something and had wrapped himself up like that to serve as some kind of protection from whatever it was.

"What happened?" she asked quietly. "He was okay when I left."

Janet pulled lightly on Cassie's sleeve and led her through to the kitchen. Once there, she said, "You know that Dr. Mackenzie was here today..."

Cassie nodded in understanding. "Ah." No more needed to be said. She'd had a few meetings with Dr. Mackenzie herself, and somehow talking to him about what had happened to her real mother and the people in her village had always managed to make her feel even worse. She'd cry for hours afterwards. She could only imagine what must be going through Daniel's mind right now. "Did he, like... remember stuff?" she asked.

Janet sighed. "I think he does remember what happened to him, he just doesn't _want_ to remember," she said. "All he really says is that he was transported from the planet to a ship, and the people who took him were... zombies."

Cassie was sure she hadn't heard that right. "Zombies?"

Janet nodded and shrugged. "That's what he says. Whenever he talks about them or even thinks about them, he just can't handle it. Whatever they did to him..." She stopped herself before she said any more, as though she'd suddenly realized who she was talking to. "Anyway... I'll get you some lunch so you can get on with your studying."

Cassie folded her arms and tried not to scowl as her mom got to work at the stove. This was one of those times when she really hated being treated like a kid.

Seriously, why was everyone always trying to protect her from this stuff? She'd sat there watching everyone she knew and loved die horrible, painful deaths when she was only twelve years old. She was sixteen now. She could probably handle knowing about whatever had happened to Daniel without so much as a nightmare. Hell, she might even be able to help him somehow if she knew more about what he was going through. He'd been there for her when she'd first come to Earth, and she couldn't even put into words how much that had meant to her. She would be only too glad to return the favour.

Her heart sank when she realized that she'd never told Daniel how much his support had meant to her over the years. God, why did she always have to be so selfish and stupid?

She quickly ate the mac and cheese her mom threw together for her, and then following with the "obedient young lady" theme of the day, she headed to her room to study. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, though, when she heard a weird noise coming from the living room.

A quick glance down the hall showed her mother disappearing down the basement steps with a load of laundry, so Cassie took it upon herself to investigate. After the talk of zombies, she was a little hesitant to walk into a darkened room in search of the source of an eerie sound, but she shook off her paranoia and tiptoed into the room anyway.

She let out a deep breath when she realized the noise was coming from Daniel. It wasn't a breath of relief, though. Daniel really didn't sound so good. He was gasping in his sleep, like he was having a nightmare or something. From what she could tell, it was getting worse with every second, almost like his throat was closing up.

"Crap," she whispered, knocking her fists against her sides as she tried to figure out what to do. Should she wake him? Should she call her mom? Should she mind her own business and leave him alone?

One more loud gasp that sounded almost desperate, and Cassie had made up her mind. She bent down and lightly shook his shoulder. "Daniel?"

His left eye popped open and locked onto her like a laser beam.

"Whoa," Cassie muttered as she involuntarily took a step backward. He may only have been looking at her with one eye, but apparently looks that kill don't require two eyes to have their effect. "It's... it's Cassie. Are you okay?"

The one eye narrowed a little as he continued to glare at her through it. It was really starting to creep her out.

"D...Daniel?"

He blinked and finally moved the rest of his body as he drew in a deep breath and worked one arm free from the blanket to rub his face. "Cass?" he slurred. "Do you want something?"

"Cassie, what are you doing in here? Did you wake Daniel up?"

She groaned and turned to face her mother, who was standing in the living room doorway with her hands on her hips. "Mom, I was just..."

"It's okay, Janet," Daniel said. He grunted as he sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "I need the bathroom anyway."

Janet's attentions were immediately on Daniel then, helping him get up and hobble through to the bathroom, so Cassie didn't get a chance to say any more. She wasn't altogether sure that she should. She remembered the awful nightmares she'd had when she'd first come to Earth, so it was understandable that Daniel would be having some doozies, too. That would explain why he woke up so weird, and probably also why he didn't want Janet to know why she'd had to wake him.

She made a mental note to talk to him later about all this stuff, and jogged up the stairs to hit the books.

To be continued...


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Daniel was tired of pretending.

He was so mad at himself for falling apart while Mackenzie was here that he'd put extra effort into acting normally for the rest of the day. He couldn't believe how much energy it took to pretend he didn't jump at every noise, and he was fighting a losing battle with the flashbacks he had to pretend he wasn't having. He knew it was all just because he'd been talking to Mackenzie, and it had brought his bottled-up feelings out for a little while. It would go away again. He'd be fine.

Wouldn't he?

No matter how hard he tried, though, he didn't seem to be fooling Janet. She'd been hovering around him all day, and even though he'd never tell her so in a million years, it was making him feel rather uncomfortable. He needed his space, or he was likely to fall apart.

He practically collapsed into bed at the end of the day, and as it was still quite early, Janet tucked him in and then left him alone for a couple of hours. Daniel had been sure that would be a good thing - he could finally have some peace and get some much-needed sleep. Unfortunately, as soon as Janet left him alone in the dark, it all started to sink in.

_Clammy hands... distorted faces... unearthly moans... sudden, sharp pain... his own terrified screams..._

Daniel stifled a cry and burrowed his head under his pillow. He groaned when he realized how futile that action was. No matter how many blankets and pillows he buried himself under, it wasn't going to keep them out. They were in his head. They were under his skin. He could almost feel them crawling around inside him like maggots inside a corpse.

He shuddered and screamed with all his might into his pillow, releasing all of his fear, rage, and violation in that one breath. By the time he felt the need to bring his face back out into the open for air, the fear and violation were gone. At least for the moment, all he felt was rage.

Why the hell had they done this to him? They'd ruined his life forever, and they didn't even care. Hell, they didn't even seem to think he had a life to ruin in the first place. He should have fought harder. He should have killed them all, even if it meant dying in the process. If there was one memory of that place he wished he had, it was his escape. He hoped he'd slaughtered the whole damn bunch of them before he got away.

He froze when he heard a floorboard creek outside his door. For a moment, he was afraid it was one of _them_, but then the door opened and Janet stepped inside.

"Daniel?" she whispered. "Are you alright?"

He winced and drew his blankets up closer to his chin. He thought the sound of his cry would have been muffled enough that Janet wouldn't hear it, but apparently he'd been wrong. "Fine," he said, though his voice was too shaky for that to be true. "Just... thinking about things."

Janet made a soft tutting sound and came over to sit on the edge of the bed. "This isn't a time for thinking, Daniel," she said, stroking the damp hair back from his forehead. "You look exhausted. You need to sleep."

"I know." Daniel drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess I'm just... a little nervous in the dark."

"Would you like me to leave the door open until I come to bed?" Janet asked sympathetically.

Daniel wasn't sure that would make much of a difference, but he nodded anyway. At least then he could avoid talking any more about it.

"Anything else I can do for you?" Janet asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

"Okay." Janet kissed his forehead and then left the room, leaving the door open a few inches so just enough light from the hall came in to make everything in the room plainly visible.

Unfortunately, that also meant it was just enough light to cast eerie shadows on the walls. Long fingers stretched out towards him... disembodied eyes watched him from just beyond the half-open closet door. He knew they were just harmless objects like a vase of flowers and a shirt with shiny buttons, but they reminded him of things he didn't want to be reminded of.

The chair in the corner looked like one of _them_, hunched over as it picked up the tray of food Daniel had thrown at the wall on one of his first days in hell. He remembered what his punishment for that had been - they'd taken his sight away. He hadn't been able to see for over a day. That was when he'd realized they were in complete control. He'd never known fear as intense as he'd experienced in those hours.

Daniel swallowed another scream and buried himself under the covers. He hated feeling so weak, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't block it all out. He lay there motionless, trying to clear his mind of everything, until he finally fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Even in his sleep, they wouldn't leave him alone. Memories of that place flooded into his mind, jumbled together with his experiences of the past few days, until his body just couldn't take it anymore. He woke up screaming, covered in sweat.

"It's okay, Daniel," Janet said, stroking his back with one hand and gripping his shoulder with the other to prevent him from bolting from the bed. "It was just a nightmare."

Daniel looked over at her as he panted for breath. He felt disoriented, not remembering when she'd come to bed and not fully understanding yet that what he'd just seen and experienced had just been a nightmare. For that matter, he didn't remember when he'd sat up. "Nightmare?" he repeated stupidly.

"Yes, just a nightmare," she said. "Lie down again. It's okay."

Daniel obediently lay back down, turning on his side to face her as she continued to stroke his head and shoulders and make soothing sounds like he was a frightened child. He didn't mind being treated like a child in situations like this. It was nice to feel loved and cared for, especially when it was coming from Janet.

He sighed as his heart slowed down to its normal rhythm and the adrenaline began to wear off. "Sorry I woke you," he murmured as his eyes started to grow heavy again.

Janet shook her head and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Then she resumed running her fingers through his hair. "What did they do to you, Daniel?"

The way she said it implied that it was a rhetorical question, so Daniel didn't even attempt to answer. He just lay there watching her face until his eyes started to droop. Then he reached out to wrap his arms around her, and drew her close against his chest.

He clung to her for a few moments, but began to relax when she started tracing patterns on his back with her fingertips. It seemed like a lifetime since he'd last cuddled with her like this, so he was reluctant to miss it by allowing himself to fall asleep. Fairly soon, though, nature won out, and he drifted off.

If he had more nightmares after that, he didn't remember them. The next thing he knew, he was waking up to the scent of coffee and pancakes.

A glance at the clock told him it was getting late, so he got up and dressed as quickly as he could. It didn't occur to him until he was halfway down the stairs that he was feeling better than he'd felt since his whole ordeal began. He was almost feeling... happy. Light. Like it had all just been a dream.

Cassie was bouncing over to the front door as he reached the bottom of the stairs, so she briefly veered away from her destination to give him a hug and a peck on the cheek before shouting, "Bye, Mom!" and running out of the house.

"The whirlwind that is Cassie," Daniel said as he entered the kitchen a moment later.

Janet turned from the stove to look at him and laughed. "She caught you, did she?" she said. "She stuck around as long as she could in hopes of seeing you before she left, but she finally had to go or be late for school. It was all I could do to keep her from running upstairs to wake you up herself."

Daniel came to stand behind her as she spoke, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and stooped down to place a kiss on her neck.

"My my," Janet teased, "somebody's feeling better this morning."

"I am," he agreed. "And I'm starving, too."

"Well," Janet said as she reached for a plate, "you're just in time, because these pancakes are for you." She loaded the plate with three perfect-looking pancakes and then turned around to face him.

Daniel held her in place and kissed her sweetly on the lips. He couldn't believe how good he was feeling. He felt like sweeping her up in his arms and dancing her around the kitchen.

Until the doorbell rang.

Daniel groaned as Janet pulled away from him.

"That'll be Dr. Mackenzie," she said. "I'll hold him off until you've had your breakfast, okay?"

"Do I have a choice?" Daniel muttered as she rushed off to answer the door. He grabbed his plate and a fork and plodded over to the table. Funny how the presence of one man could so easily ruin his appetite.

Still, he knew it had to be done, and better now while he was feeling okay than a time when he was feeling delicate and easily spooked. So, he ate his breakfast as quickly as he could, and soon joined Janet and Mackenzie in the living room.

"Ah, Daniel, there you are," Mackenzie greeted him. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better than yesterday," Daniel said as he sat down next to Janet.

Janet smiled and patted his leg. "I guess I'll disappear again for a while," she said. "Call me if you need me."

Daniel took a deep breath as she stood up and left the room. "So..." he said once he and Mackenzie were alone. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Mackenzie glanced up at him over the rims of his glasses as he shuffled through his notes. "There's no agenda here, Daniel," he said in his usual calm tone. "If you feel you can talk about what happened to you today, I'm here to listen. If not... we can talk about the weather."

Daniel leaned to the side and over-dramatized taking a look out the window. "Looks a little cloudy," he said. "Feels cool. Pretty common fall weather in Colorado, wouldn't you say?"

Mackenzie chuckled. "Alright, so we've talked about the weather. Now how about we pick up where we left off yesterday, hmm?"

Daniel nervously rubbed his thighs and wetted his lips. "Okay," he said. He cleared his throat. "Um... I guess I left off... with the door of my cell opening."

"One of the aliens was standing there," Mackenzie offered.

"Yeah."

"Can you... describe it for me?"

Daniel watched Mackenzie's pen as it hovered over the page, waiting to scribble down whatever came out of Daniel's mouth. It was rather unnerving. "It... was about my height," he began, trying to think without feeling. To his relief, it actually seemed to work this time. "Grey skin. Peeling in places. Dead." He paused for a moment as Mackenzie's pen moved frantically across the page and then stopped. "Long fingers, like claws. Cold... clammy hands. It was wearing some kind of... uniform or... protective gear. Not sure what it was. Most of them wore it. Brown... sandy brown... covering everything but their face and hands. It looked and felt like... skin."

Mackenzie took a second or two to catch up, and then looked up at Daniel as if expecting him to go on. "You're doing extremely well, Daniel," he said. "What else can you tell me about them?"

"Red eyes," he said. He would never forget those eyes.

Mackenzie jotted that down as well. "What about their speech?" he asked. "You seemed to know some of their language. Can you tell me about that?"

Daniel shook his head. "One word," he said. "Cape. I... I don't even know how I know it."

"You don't remember learning it?"

Daniel shook his head again. "I don't remember understanding them," he said, staring off into space as random images and memories started to flash across his mind's eye. "They... they moaned. Zombies. They moaned. Over and over. Then they'd mutter to each other. _Chak. Da. Minal kara._ Don't know what it means. Nothing good. It was usually followed by pain. The first one... it didn't want me walking around, touching buttons. It zapped me with... some kind of energy weapon... like a stun gun. I was conscious, but I couldn't move." He swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut as if to shut out the images. "Couldn't fight it off when it took my clothes..."

_"Chak. Da. Minal kara."_

"Please, just let me go. Please!"

"There was nothing I could do," Daniel said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "There were three of them then... three on the ship. More on the planet. Zombies... everywhere. Dozens of them."

"Daniel..." Mackenzie leaned forward and rested his elbows on his clipboard. "What makes you think they were zombies?"

"The moaning... their dead skin... the way they moved... slow, clumsy..."

"But Daniel, if they were really zombies... wouldn't you be a zombie, too?"

A shiver passed through him from head to toe. Mackenzie was right. If they were really zombies, they would have turned him into a zombie, too.

That feeling came over him again, the one that told him they were nearby. He'd come to recognize that feeling even while the implant in his head was leaving him barely aware of his surroundings. He knew when they were coming. He always knew.

But maybe they were already here. Maybe they were _him_. "Maybe I _am_ one of them," he whispered, the words sending another shiver through his body.

"No, Daniel," Mackenzie said. "You're a human being, and just as alive as I am. They were aliens that took you, Daniel. Aliens that may have zombie-ish characteristics, but still very much alive. Whatever they wanted from you, it obviously wasn't to eat your flesh."

Daniel felt like arguing that not all zombies eat flesh, but he suddenly felt much too tired. He took off his glasses and covered his face with his hands. The feeling of their nearness was slowly dissipating, leaving him with an almost empty feeling in its place. "I get your point," he said wearily. "Not zombies... just aliens. Is there anything else you want to know?"

Mackenzie seemed almost sympathetic as he sat back in his seat and said, "No, I think that's it for today. You're doing remarkably well, Daniel. I know it isn't easy to talk about what you've experienced."

Daniel sighed and lowered his hands into his lap. He didn't know the half of it.

To be continued...


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Janet dashed up the basement steps and picked up the phone on the third ring. "Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"Hey, Doc. How's it going?"

"Hello, Sir," she said. She craned her neck to get a peek into the living room, but she couldn't see the couch where she'd last seen Daniel lying fast asleep. Still, she figured it was safe to answer with, "It's going very well, thank you."

"Daniel's doing okay with the whole Mackenzie thing?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

Janet nodded, even though he couldn't actually see her. "Yes, Sir, he's doing well. He just gave a complete description of his kidnappers, in fact. I honestly didn't expect him to progress so far so quickly. He's tired for a while after each visit, but once he's had a short nap, he seems fine."

"That's great. Any chance he's up for visitors?"

Again, Janet tried to see into the living room before answering. She stepped a few paces away from the door and lowered her voice as she said, "Actually, Sir, I think that would be wonderful. Daniel seemed to be feeling almost himself this morning until Dr. Mackenzie came. I think talking about what happened to him takes a lot out of him, so he needs to just forget about it for a little while."

"Say no more, Doc," Colonel O'Neill said. "Carter, Teal'c, and I to the rescue. What time does Cassie get home from school?"

"Usually around three," she said.

"Great. We'll be there around 1600 hours. We'll bring pizza."

Janet laughed. "Thank you, Sir. I'll see you then."

"Take it easy, Doc."

Janet smiled as she hung up the receiver. Things were starting to feel almost normal again.

"Was that Jack?"

Janet nearly jumped out of her socks as Daniel suddenly appeared at her side. "Daniel!" she gasped, pressing her hand to her heart as if to stop it from racing. "You startled me."

"Sorry," he said through a yawn. He rubbed the top of his head sleepily. "When will you be seeing him?"

"Um... Colonel O'Neill, Sam, and Teal'c are going to drop by this afternoon for a visit," she said, her heart going from racing to melting at the adorable mess Daniel was in. His hair was standing up, his clothes were rumpled, and he had a huge red mark across his cheek from the couch cushions. He looked so cute and childlike that it took all of her energy to restrain herself from reaching up to pinch his cheeks and ruffle his hair.

Daniel nodded, but then scowled at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Janet shrugged. "You look cute," she said, trying not to smile so much that he'd get the impression she was making fun of him. She raised her hands to smooth down his hair. "Did you have a good nap?"

Daniel snaked his arms around her waist while he had the opportunity. "Pretty good," he said. "Is it time for lunch yet?"

Janet rested her hands on his shoulders when she realized her attempts to get his hair back under control were failing miserably. "I'll tell you what," she said. "How about you go take a nice shower, and I'll make us something to eat."

"Sounds good to me," Daniel said. He leaned down to kiss her, and then released her and left the room.

Janet had just started opening a can of chicken soup when she heard Daniel calling her from upstairs. At first she feared that something had happened to him, so she dropped what she was doing and ran up to him. "What's wrong?" she asked when she reached their bedroom.

"Nothing," Daniel said, seeming confused by her worried expression. "I just couldn't find the shampoo."

Janet sighed in relief. "Oh, right," she said. "I forgot, I lent it to Cassie last night. I'll get it for you."

She hurried off to Cassie's bathroom, located the shampoo, and hurried back to Daniel. She entered the bathroom just as he was taking off his shirt, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the ugly red marks that still marred his once perfect skin.

If Daniel noticed her double take and subsequent staring, he didn't react. He simply thanked her and took the bottle from her hands.

"Do... do you need anything else?" Janet asked as she tried her hardest to look anywhere but at his chest and arms.

"No, thanks," he said. "I do remember how to take a shower."

Janet looked up at his face then, and saw that he had a twinkle of humour in his eyes. She smiled. "Of course you do," she said. "I'll leave you to it." She quickly left the room and closed the door, not exactly anxious to see more of his wounds than she already had.

She sighed heavily as she walked back down the stairs. She'd hoped the strange marks would have started to wear off by now, but if anything, they looked even brighter than before. Even the more recent wound on his arm had begun to heal over and disappear. She wished they knew what had caused the marks in the first place, but at the same time, she knew they were lucky that Daniel had been able to tell them all that he had so far. It had only been a few days since he'd come home, and already he was starting to act like his old self again. She didn't want to push him too far too fast in case he ended up breaking.

Somehow she managed to put all thoughts of what had happened to Daniel out of her mind for the rest of the day. The two of them enjoyed a quiet lunch, went for a short walk together, and curled up together on the couch to watch a movie while they waited for Cassie to come home. It seemed like no time at all before they were sitting around the kitchen table with SG-1, eating pizza, chatting, and laughing like the past few weeks hadn't even happened.

As had happened during their last visit with SG-1, Janet noticed that everyone was keeping a subtle eye on Daniel, watching for any signs that their company was becoming too much for him. Unlike the last time, however, Daniel never wavered. He didn't add much to the conversation, and most of his smiles seemed forced, but he seemed to follow what everyone said with great interest. He even looked disappointed when Colonel O'Neill announced that it was time for them to go.

Once they were gone, Janet started clearing up the dishes while Daniel and Cassie retreated to the living room for a game of chess. She heard them talking as they played, discussing the test Cassie had taken that morning and the work she had ahead of her over the next few weeks in the same class. Every now and then she would just stop to listen. The two of them sounded more comfortable with each other now than they ever had before. It almost brought tears to her eyes.

The rest of the evening also passed without incident. Daniel seemed quite relaxed, and he and Cassie went through just about every board game they owned, one after another, not even stopping to eat when Janet brought them a tray of sandwiches. Janet joined in every now and then, but for the most part she was content to sit across the room with a book, pretending to read it as she watched them from the corner of her eye.

Partway through watching their second game of Scrabble, Janet found she was starting to feel tired, and looked up at the clock to see what the time was. To her surprise, it was after ten o'clock. "Cassie?" she said. "Have you noticed the time?"

Cassie looked at her watch and sagged a little. "Crap, it's bedtime," she said. "Can't I just stay up for another half hour? Please?"

Janet glanced at Daniel and saw that he was stifling a yawn, so she shook her head firmly. "No. You have school tomorrow. Time for bed. Besides, Daniel's tired. He needs to rest."

Daniel shot her a dirty look, but he didn't argue. "We can finish it tomorrow, Cass," he said as he slowly stood up and stretched.

"Okay, okay." Cassie dragged herself onto her feet and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Daniel on the cheek. "Night, Daniel," she said. Then she went over to Janet and kissed her, too. "Night, Mom."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Night, Cass."

Once Cassie had stomped up the stairs, Janet stood up and went over to lay her hand on Daniel's back. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course," he said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've had a long day," Janet said. "You must be exhausted."

"Today's been good," Daniel said, putting his arm around her shoulders as they headed for the stairs. "I can't even explain how good. It's like I've been asleep all this time, and I've finally woken up."

Janet smiled up at him. "That's wonderful, Daniel," she said. "I've been so proud of you today."

Daniel smiled back at her and dropped his arm so he could squeeze her hand.

They fell silent as they passed Cassie's room and entered their own, and it wasn't until they'd both been to the bathroom and changed into their nightclothes that Daniel spoke again.

"You've really been proud of me?" he asked as they settled into bed.

"Of course I have," Janet replied. "I can't imagine how I'd be right now if I'd been through..." She stopped herself when she realized what she was saying. He'd probably managed to keep the past few weeks from his mind all day, and here she was bringing it up again. She gave him an apologetic look, but he just shrugged it off.

"It's okay," he said. "And for what it's worth, I'm sure you'd handle it better than I ever could. You're the strongest woman I've ever known."

Janet's heart fluttered as she lay there looking into his eyes. His expression was full of so much love and admiration that it took her breath away.

"I love you, Janet," he said.

Janet could feel her face light up like a neon sign at those words. "I love you, too," she said. She wished she could come up with something a little more original than that, but nothing more came to mind.

Then he touched her face, and she closed her eyes almost subconsciously as she relished the feel of his fingers on her skin. She kept them closed as she sensed that his face was drawing closer to hers, and waited expectantly for his kiss.

She wasn't disappointed.

They'd shared a few brief but sweet kisses over the last couple of days, but nothing so sensuous and intimate as this. It took her back to their honeymoon, when they'd felt so happy and at peace, taking their time and just enjoying each other. Everything else just melted away until all she could think about was Daniel, and how much she loved him and wanted to make him happy. They'd never spent time apart. They'd never suffered. There were no marks on Daniel's body, and even if there were, she had the power to kiss them away. Everything was just as it should be.

She sighed as he started kissing her neck, and slipped her hands up under his shirt to feel the bare skin of his back. His arms pulled her closer, and she was more than happy to comply. She hadn't felt so good in so very long.

Scarcely a moment after she pressed her body against his, however, Daniel cried out and pushed her away.

Janet's mind fell back to reality with a thud she could almost hear. "Daniel?" she gasped. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

Daniel sat up and pressed his back against the headboard, drawing his knees up to his chest and panting for breath. He looked scared half to death. "Oh God..." he whispered. "I can't... Janet? God, help me!"

"What is it?" Janet asked, feeling as though her heart was going to burst right out of her chest it was pounding so hard. "Daniel, you're scaring me. Tell me what's wrong."

He held his head in his hands as he started to shake from head to toe. "Oh God," he groaned. "I didn't remember. I don't want to remember. Please..."

Janet moved her pillow aside so she could sit next to him, and gently guided his head to lean against her chest as he began to sob. He was trembling so hard that it went right through to her bones, and he grasped her nightdress tightly in his fists as she stroked his hair and rocked him from side to side like a baby. She couldn't believe how quickly and drastically his demeanour had changed.

After a few moments of sobbing, Daniel went limp so suddenly that Janet feared he had passed out. When she lifted his head to look at his face, though, she saw that his eyes were open, but filled with despair. He looked completely exhausted.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she wiped the tears from his cheeks.

Daniel sniffed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just... it was... it suddenly came into my mind... so fast..."

"What did? Please, Daniel, tell me what happened to you."

He took a deep, ragged breath and leaned his forehead against her shoulder as another shiver passed through his body. "I... I hadn't been there long," he said, his voice so quiet that if he hadn't been talking so close to her ear, she probably wouldn't have heard him. "The... _they_... would do things... horrible, painful things... over and over, they never stopped." He paused as he shuddered again, but soon continued. "I was out of it most of the time. The device in my head... they could do things... make things foggy, make things hurt... take my sight away." He wrapped an arm around her waist then, and held her tightly as if for protection. "If I tried to escape, the pain would be so intense I couldn't breathe. Then everything would go dark. So dark..."

Janet kissed the top of his head as he shuddered again. She could feel tears running down her face, but inside she was feeling more and more numb with every word he spoke.

"I remember... needles," he continued. "Needles that burned. They left marks. Hurt for hours... bubbled up like boils and then faded to red. I couldn't understand why. I couldn't think anyway. But then it got worse."

He was silent for a few moments, so Janet kissed his hair again and gently prodded, "What happened?"

"I... I was so scared," he whispered. "I wanted to go home. I tried... I tried to escape, but the pain held me back. Then the blindness... I was stuck. They were angry. I could tell. They grabbed me and tied me down. Left me there. I was so out of it, I didn't even care anymore. Until... until they came back." He swallowed convulsively as though trying not to gag. "I... I felt them... touch me... I couldn't take it anymore. I screamed... I screamed so loud, hoping I would burst their eardrums or make them so angry that they'd just leave me the hell alone!" His voice grew louder with each word until it finally broke and left him silently panting for breath for a few moments.

Janet felt sick to her stomach at the picture Daniel was painting. He didn't need to go into more detail than he already had for her to know what he was talking about. They'd violated him. The sick bastards hadn't felt that physical torture was enough, so they'd inflicted sexual torture on him, too? If she ever got her hands on one of those monsters...

"That's when they put the device in my arm," Daniel said, interrupting her turbulent thoughts. His voice was quieter now, almost calm. "When I tried to scream again... the pain was... God, I was going out of my mind. I couldn't see, couldn't move, couldn't speak... I could only lay there while they grabbed me and... God..." He raised a hand to press against his temple. "I guess they wanted a sperm sample, huh?" he said with an almost crazed-sounding laugh.

Janet clung to him even tighter, burying her face in his hair. "Don't think about it, Daniel," she said, her voice so choked up that she could barely speak at all. "It's all over now. You're home."

"Yes," Daniel said, snaking his arm back around her waist. "I'm home. But they're still out there."

Janet winced and squeezed her eyes shut tight. She didn't even want to think about that.

To be continued...


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Daniel lay on his side staring at the wall as he listened to Janet humming to herself in the shower. It was well past time to get up - Cassie had already left for school - but he didn't feel like getting out of bed. He hated himself. He hated his life. He wished he'd died in that place rather than have to live with the memory of it.

He slowly massaged the side of his aching head with his fingertips. He couldn't believe how badly it was hurting. He figured he should have known that the way he'd felt the day before wouldn't last, but it was still disappointing to feel worse than ever the very next day. What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he act like a normal person for more than a few hours at a time? He couldn't even make love to his wife, for God's sake.

Daniel groaned and covered his face with his sheets when he thought about what had happened the night before. He knew Janet hadn't held it against him, but he had still felt rather embarrassed about it afterwards. He also felt bad that he'd burdened her with the knowledge of what he'd been through. She didn't need to know stuff like that. Now every time she looked at him, she'd think about what he'd told her, and he'd know she was thinking about it, and everything would be all awkward and uncomfortable.

God, why hadn't they just killed him?

He pretended to be asleep when Janet came back into the bedroom, but she always seemed to know when he was faking. She came right over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, pulling the sheets down so she could see his face.

Daniel gazed up at her sadly for a moment before he answered, "Head's pounding."

Janet gave him that sympathetic look that he'd been expecting - the one that said she was thinking about what he'd told her the night before. Then she touched the back of her hand to his forehead. "You're a little warm," she said. "Do you want me to get you something? Tylenol?"

Daniel gave a slight nod. "Thanks," he said.

Janet forced a tiny smile. "I'll be back in a minute," she said. Then she stood up and left the room.

Daniel hated himself even more when he found he was wishing she would just leave him alone.

True to her word, Janet came back a minute later with two pills and a glass of water. She stood beside him while he swallowed them down, and then arranged his pillow and blankets more comfortably.

"Janet..." Daniel sighed, the pain in his head wearing his patience thin. "Please don't fuss. I'm fine."

She breathed a laugh as she stood up, putting one hand on her hip and running the other through her hair. "Daniel, if I can't fuss over you, I'll literally go insane," she said.

Daniel gaped at her. He wasn't used to Janet revealing her vulnerability and fear, but he was definitely seeing them now. He hadn't noticed until then how tired she looked, how dark the circles under her eyes were getting, and how loose her clothes seemed on her slight frame. He hated that he was putting her through all of this, but he realized in that moment that having him home to fuss over was probably the only thing keeping her going right now.

"Come here," he said, edging a little bit over to the middle of the bed to leave room for her on the edge.

"Daniel, you're not..."

"Just come here," Daniel insisted, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her closer.

Janet gave in and lay down beside him with her head on his chest and her arm draped across his stomach. Daniel arranged the blankets around them both and closed his eyes as they fell silent. He wasn't about to ruin the moment by saying anything, and it seemed that Janet wasn't, either. There really wasn't much to be said anyway. They both knew what the other was going through, but there wasn't a damn thing either of them could do to change it.

After a minute or two, Janet lifted her head and propped herself up on her elbow to look down at him. "I'm making your shirt wet," she said, fingering her damp hair and giving him an apologetic look.

Daniel couldn't help but smile. She actually thought he cared that his shirt was a little damp? "It's okay," he said. "I hadn't even noticed."

Janet touched the side of his face with the backs of her fingers again. "How's your head?" she asked. "Feeling any better yet?"

Daniel went to shake his head, but decided against it. "No," he said. "Still pounding."

Janet sighed and kissed his temple. "Well, at least you have the day off from Dr. Mackenzie," she said as she stroked his hair. "Dr. Warner will be stopping by this afternoon, so we can talk to him about it, okay?"

"Okay."

"Get some more sleep." She kissed his temple again and stood up. "I'll check on you every few minutes," she said as she tucked him in. Then she quietly left the room.

"Easier said than done," Daniel mumbled once he was alone. He hadn't slept much all night thanks to recurring nightmares that seemed to creep up on him as soon as he closed his eyes. He didn't think daylight would make much of a difference.

He tried, though. He tried clearing his mind of every unwelcome thought, but they crept in anyway. He tried ignoring the pain in his head, but it just seemed to get worse. He was still awake when Janet came to check on him, but he just forced a smile and complained of boredom so he wouldn't worry her. She didn't need to know that he was feeling worse with each passing moment.

That wouldn't have been so bad if it was just a headache, but he was starting to feel strange in ways that he couldn't quite define. He tried to tell himself it was just that he was tired and stressed out, but it was getting harder and harder to believe.

Soon after Janet checked on him, Daniel started to feel himself drifting off to sleep. His thoughts became muddled, and he found he couldn't open his eyes even if he tried. He figured it was the pain meds finally catching up with him, so he gave into it, and seconds later he was floating. He was still vaguely aware of what was going on around him, so part of him acknowledged the fact that Janet had entered the room again, but he couldn't seem to get past the falling-asleep part of the process - he wasn't awake, and he wasn't asleep. It was a strange feeling, but not an entirely unpleasant one.

"Daniel?"

He could hear Janet's voice, but it didn't really sink in that she was talking to him until moments after she'd spoken. He felt something touch his arm and heard her voice again. "Daniel? Daniel, wake up."

Wake up? Why should he wake up? He felt good in this state of limbo. No pain, no memory, no nightmares... if he could stay there forever, he wouldn't mind at all.

_"Daniel!"_

He opened his eyes and glared at her. "No!" he said before he even knew he was talking. Then he noticed the fear in Janet's eyes. He blinked heavily and looked around in confusion. "What... what just happened?"

Janet sank down onto the bed beside him and took his face in her hands. "God, Daniel, you scared me," she said between panting for breath. "You stopped breathing for a few seconds. God, I thought..."

Daniel stared at her in shock. Stopped breathing? What was she talking about? Why would he have stopped breathing?

"That's the second time that's happened," Janet continued in a shaky voice. "You start wheezing in your sleep, and then it's like you can't even breathe. Are you alright?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so."

Janet visibly relaxed and finally let go of his face to rest her hands on his chest. "Were you having a nightmare?"

"I... don't think so," he said, though he wasn't entirely sure. He felt as though he'd been feeling good, not frightened, but he couldn't quite remember.

"Okay. Well, just sit tight," Janet said as she rose to her feet. "I'll go get my stethoscope and check things out. You were given a clean bill of health a few days ago, but it doesn't hurt to make sure."

"Okay." Daniel sat up as she hurried out of the room, and lifted his shirt to look down at his chest and stomach. The red marks on his skin were still bright red, and while they felt normal now, he could have sworn they'd felt warm moments earlier.

But maybe it had just been his imagination.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet listened carefully to Daniel's lungs and didn't hear anything unusual. She listened to his heart, and it sounded fine. She wished she had more equipment than her stethoscope at her disposal, but as he seemed fine for now, she felt reasonably sure that they were safe waiting for Dr. Warner's visit later that day.

Reasonably sure. Not completely. The glassy look in Daniel's eyes had her worried more than anything. She couldn't find any signs of infection at a glance, and his temperature hadn't gone over 100 degrees, but who knew what kind of damage those aliens had done to his body? Whatever they'd injected into him, though it seemed to have been cleared from his system now, it must have been potent stuff if it had caused his skin to break out in boils at the time. That gave her an uneasy feeling that she just couldn't shake.

Daniel had no appetite all day, though he managed to choke down some toast at lunchtime. She hoped it was all just because of what he'd remembered the night before, or maybe even a virus that he'd picked up since he'd come home, but she kept a sharp eye on him at all times regardless. He complained when she moved him downstairs to the couch, but she didn't give in. She wasn't taking any chances.

Dr. Warner arrived soon after Cassie got in from school, and Janet told him all about Daniel's most recent symptoms. He immediately did what Janet had already done - checked on Daniel's lungs and heart, which both seemed fine. He then ran as many tests on him as he could, finishing off by drawing a few vials of blood.

"I can't find any problems," he said to Daniel once he was done. "I'll send this blood to the lab tonight, and I'd like you to come to the infirmary tomorrow morning for more extensive tests. I'm sure we'll know more then, but in the meantime, all I can suggest is rest, lots of fluids... and try not to worry too much, okay?"

Daniel nodded. "I'll try."

"And that goes for you, too, Janet," Warner said, turning to look her in the eye. "You look almost as exhausted as Daniel."

Janet shrugged helplessly. "When he's not sleeping, neither am I," she said. "The nightmares were coming fast and furious last night."

Warner nodded and patted Daniel sympathetically on the arm. "Do you have any concerns you'd like to mention before I go, Daniel?" he asked.

Daniel looked uncomfortable for a few seconds, glancing back and forth between Warner and Janet and then down at his hands. "I, um..." He cleared his throat and shifted position in his seat. "No," he finally said. "No, there's nothing. Just... the blood tests would tell you if anything's... changing... right?"

Warner glanced at Janet with a confused look on his face. "Changing... how?" he asked.

Daniel didn't answer. He just looked up at Janet from the corner of his eye, shook his head, and looked down again.

"Daniel?" Janet said, perching herself on the arm of the chair Daniel was sitting in. "If there's something on your mind, just tell us."

He shook his head again and laughed nervously. "It's nothing," he said. "I'm just tired. I don't even know what I'm saying." He rubbed his forehead with his fingertips and rested his head against the back of the chair.

"Well... don't worry, Daniel," Warner said as he gathered his things and packed them neatly back into his kit. "If there's something wrong, we'll be sure to find it. You just rest tonight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay."

Janet laid her hand briefly on the top of Daniel's head before she got up to see Dr. Warner to the door. By the time he'd left and she returned to the living room, Daniel was lying on the couch, curled up on his side with his back to the room. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he said without moving to look at her. "Resting."

"Okay. I'm here if you need me." She waited a moment for his answer, but he didn't say any more. With a heavy heart, she moved through to the kitchen to make dinner for herself and Cassie.

To be continued...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_He was breaking. Breaking into little bitty pieces that no one would even be able to find. It hurt so bad he wanted to scream, but he couldn't do that. If he made a noise, they would know he was free._

"Cape. Out. Home."

He dragged his aching body to the panel beside the invisible door. "Cape." That one word meant freedom.

He found it. The door opened. He was getting so close to being free.

Another door. Another panel. "Cape. Out. Found it."

The door opened, revealing one of them standing on the other side.

Rage... fear... revenge. He sprang upon the creature and slammed its head against the wall. Again and again and again. He laughed as it fell to the floor, and he looked down at his hands.

Blood. Red blood.

Daniel snapped back to reality with a jerk. He'd been laughing out loud, and tears were running down his face. It took him a moment to realize where he was. He was sitting up in bed, safe and sound. Not back in that place. He shuddered as the images from his nightmare flooded back into his mind.

No... not a nightmare. A memory. His escape. He'd dreamed about his escape. It had really happened. He'd really killed one of them. It made him feel sick to think that he'd even touched it. He shook his head to clear it of the graphic imagery and the lingering smell of blood in his nostrils and rubbed his face with his hand.

His wet, sticky hand.

Everything inside him started turning somersaults when he realized that the room was filled with the strong scent of blood. It wasn't just a lingering memory from his dream... his hands were really covered with blood.

Daniel gasped and felt beside him for Janet. She wasn't there. Her side of the bed was empty. Where was she?

He quickly leaned over and turned on the lamp beside the bed. He soon wished he hadn't. The blood wasn't just on his hands - it was everywhere. On the pillows, on the headboard, on the wall behind the bed, on Janet's bedside table...

"Oh God... Janet?"

He was afraid to move. He knew deep down what he would find when he looked over the edge of the bed, but part of him didn't want to believe it. God, he wouldn't have hurt Janet. Would he?

"Janet... please, God, Janet?"

His quiet, panic-stricken voice sounded so small and insignificant that he wondered if he'd faded away to nothing. He wished he had.

But he hadn't. He was still here, and he had to find Janet. Slowly, he rolled to his side so he could lift himself up onto his hands and knees, and crawled across the bed to look over the other side.

There she was. Janet. His beloved wife, lying in a pool of blood on their bedroom floor.

Daniel screamed and dropped down beside her. He chanted her name over and over as he passed his hands over her lifeless body, finally pressing his fingertips to her neck to check for a pulse. "God, no!" he cried when he felt nothing. Nothing at all. Not one beat of her heart, not one breath... nothing.

He somehow had the presence of mind to start CPR, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. He'd killed her. Oh God, he'd killed Janet.

Panic started to set in then, and he felt an overwhelming need to run. He had to get away from the blood, the smell, the body. He had to get so far away that he'd just forget. He jumped to his feet and ran out of the bedroom into the hall.

One of them was standing right outside his door.

"D...Daniel? What's going on?"

It sounded like Cassandra, but he wasn't fooled. He grabbed it by the neck and slammed it against the wall.

"Daniel, stop! Please, you're hurting me!"

He was hurting it? Damn right he was hurting it. He remembered all the fear, all the humiliation, all the pain, and he just let it go. He threw the creature to the ground and took out all of his rage on its ugly face.

"Daniel! For God's sake, stop!"

He froze at the sound of Janet's voice. Janet? How... "Janet?" he whispered.

"Daniel, please!"

He craned his head to look over his shoulder. There she was, standing alive and well in the middle of the hallway, holding a terrified Cassie close to her chest. "Janet?"

The confusion was so overwhelming that he felt dizzy. He looked down to see a blood stained floor beneath him, but no creature. He looked at his hands. They were covered in blood, but it wasn't Janet's. It was his own.

"What... what's going on?" he asked. "What's happening to me?"

Janet let go of Cassie and dropped to her knees beside him. She grabbed his hands and looked them over, her own hands shaking uncontrollably as she did so. "I don't know whether you were dreaming or hallucinating," she said, "but whatever it was, you scared the hell out of us."

"Did... did I hurt anybody?" he asked, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of his stomach when he remembered the details of his dream. "Oh God... Cassie," he said as realization dawned. The creature in his dream had had Cassie's voice. She was standing in the shadows as far away from him as she could be without disappearing into one of the bedrooms, so he couldn't see her face clearly enough to see what kind of state she was in. Had he hurt her?

"You grabbed her, that's all," Janet said quietly, laying a soft, reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She's a little shaken up, but you didn't hurt her."

Somehow, that didn't make him feel much better. "Did I hurt you?"

Janet shook her head. "Come on, let's see to your hands," she said. She stood up and stooped down to help him to his feet.

Before they even moved one step towards the bedroom, Daniel grabbed Janet's arms and turned her to look straight into his face. "Janet," he said anxiously, "you have to lock me up."

"Daniel, it's alright, we'll figure out what's going on, and we'll fix it. No one's going to lock you up."

"No," he said, his voice shaky but firm. "I'm serious, Janet. You have to lock me up right now. I'm... I'm changing." Even as the words were coming out of his mouth, it was becoming clearer to him what was going on. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it days ago, but he'd been trying to deny it. Now... he'd almost killed the people he loved the most. He couldn't deny it any longer.

"I'm dangerous, Janet. I... I'm turning into one of _them_. Please, you have to call Jack right now. You have to lock me up before I hurt somebody!"

To be continued...


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"You mean... Daniel was right?"

Dr. Warner shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I really can't say for sure what the abnormalities mean... yet... but I have no reason to believe that Daniel is turning into one of the aliens."

"But he is changing," Janet insisted. "And you said the abnormalities in his blood are similar to the blood that was on his hands when he first came home. What else could it be?"

"Similar, but not the same," he said. "The theory we're running with right now is that they were conducting some kind of... genetic engineering experiments on him, and that somehow it had a lasting effect on..."

"But you ran these same tests on him just a few days ago," Janet said, her anger creeping into her tone, "as well as when he first came back. These abnormalities weren't in his blood then."

"No, they weren't. We... we believe the device in his brain was somehow regulating whatever toxins were in his system. We don't know how... we don't even have any proof that this was the case... that's just the only thing that makes any sense. The last tests we ran were shortly after the device was rendered inactive, and everything appeared to be fine. If the changes began after that..."

Janet sighed and started pacing up and down the hall. When she passed the door to Daniel's infirmary room, she paused and peeked in. He was still lying there just as she'd left him, curled up on his side with his head in his bandaged hands. Colonel O'Neill was sitting vigil beside him, as Daniel had requested. He hadn't wanted Janet in the room with him in case he flipped out again.

God, when had things gone so incredibly wrong?

She thought back over the last few days and all the signs they'd missed. The headaches... wheezing in his sleep... the marks that only seemed to grow redder as the days went by... his warning that he could feel the aliens close by... Why hadn't they seen what was happening to him?

Simple, she thought. She'd been so busy trying to be supportive and make him feel comfortable at home that she'd lost sight of everything else. She'd closed her physician's eye and had looked at him through the eyes of his wife, nothing more and nothing less.

Not that doing so was wrong. It was only natural, in fact. But General Hammond had been right - she'd taken him home too soon because she wasn't thinking about what was best for Daniel. She was thinking about what was best for her.

"I'm sorry, Janet."

She turned to look at Dr. Warner when he spoke. She'd almost forgotten he was there. "You don't need to apologize," she said. "It's nobody's fault but the aliens who took him."

"I mean... I'm sorry," he said, stepping closer to her and laying his hand on her arm. "I don't think there's anything we can do to help him. Whatever's happening to him... we can't stop it."

Those words didn't even register in her mind. She couldn't allow them to. There was no way it was true. Daniel hadn't been returned to her just to be snatched away again. It just couldn't happen. Not when they'd come so close to being happy again.

There had to be some way to help Daniel, and if it existed, she would find it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Jack?"

He'd been dozing, but his eyes snapped wide open when he heard Daniel say his name. "Hey, Daniel," he said, sitting up straighter in his chair. "Feeling okay?"

"No," Daniel said. He was turned on his side facing Jack, his eyes droopy from the sedatives he'd been given, but otherwise looking remarkably normal for a guy who was supposedly turning into an alien. "Head still hurts... still feel all... weird."

Jack nodded, searching for something to say in response but coming up empty.

Thankfully, Daniel spoke again soon anyway. "Do you think... do you think they did this on purpose?"

"Did what on purpose?"

Daniel sighed in frustration. "This... all of it. My escape... whatever's happening to me now. Maybe they started turning me into one of them knowing I'd come back here and..."

"And what, Daniel?" Jack said, making his voice sound both firm and sympathetic at the same time. At least, he hoped it did. "Spy on us? Kill us? What?"

Daniel rubbed his eyes wearily. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe neither. Maybe both."

"You were hallucinating, Daniel. Hallucinations happen. Especially when your fever suddenly spikes to 103."

"I thought I'd killed them, Jack," Daniel said, his voice breaking up as his eyes filled with tears. "If Janet hadn't come out of the bathroom when she did and pulled Cassie away from me..."

"But she did. They're both fine."

Daniel ignored this comment. "I can't do this anymore, Jack," he said, sounding utterly defeated. "Please... please don't let this happen to me. Please just kill me before..."

"Hey!" Jack snapped, making Daniel jump at the sudden loud noise. "Don't you ever say anything like that again, understood?"

"Jack..."

"Is that understood?" he repeated.

Daniel turned over onto his back and covered his face with his hands. He didn't say any more, but Jack could tell he got the point.

God, even thinking about doing what Daniel was asking made him want to hurl. He really must be out of it if he'd even entertain the idea, let alone voice it.

"Colonel? Could you give us a minute alone, please?"

Jack looked up as Fraiser came to stand beside him, and was about to answer when Daniel beat him to it.

"No!" he said mournfully. "Janet, I told you, I'm not safe. You can't be in here."

"Oh, so you don't care about _my_ welfare," Jack said, but his teasing fell flat.

"Jack..."

"Daniel, relax," he said in all seriousness. "You've got enough sedative in you that a five year old could knock you on your ass. Your wife wants to talk to you."

"Just... stay," Daniel said, reaching out to grab Jack's arm as he stood up to leave.

Jack looked over at Fraiser for help. He didn't want to upset Daniel, but if she really needed to be alone with him...

"It's okay, Colonel," she said. "You can stay."

Jack nodded and sat back down again. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes so he wouldn't intrude too much on their privacy, but there was nothing he could do about his ears.

"How are you feeling?" he heard Fraiser ask in a low voice.

"Bad," Daniel replied. "Is Cassie okay?"

"Cassie's fine," Fraiser said. "She's here. She's watching a movie with Teal'c."

"Is... is she..."

"Daniel, she knows you didn't mean to hurt her. She's worried about you, but she's fine. Really."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "Did they get my results back yet?"

"Yes, they did. And... they found some abnormalities in your blood work."

"What kind of abnormalities?"

Fraiser sighed and it sounded like she sat down on the edge of his bed. "They're not sure yet, but... it's like your genetic structure is deteriorating somehow. The best idea we have is that the aliens were tampering with your DNA... perhaps conducting experiments on you..."

"The needles?"

"That would seem to make sense, wouldn't it?"

There was silence for a moment, and then Daniel said in a small voice, "I thought... I thought they were studying me. Dissecting me, and putting me back together all wrong." He chuckled. "Only they never cut me open, did they?"

Jack opened his eyes again when Daniel's laughter started to turn into eerie giggling. He snapped to attention and was at Daniel's side in a matter of nanoseconds. "Daniel?"

"They were screwing with me, Jack," Daniel said, his voice sounding almost drunk. "Trying to make me more like them, but I wasn't playing along. Nope, no matter what they gave me, it didn't work." He started laughing again, louder than before. "It didn't work!" he repeated. He seemed to think it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

Jack and Fraiser shot each other helpless looks. They weren't sure what they were supposed to do. Daniel wasn't getting violent, so restraints were unnecessary, but they felt they should do something other than stand there watching him laugh like a lunatic.

Then all of a sudden the laughter stopped, and Daniel started gasping for breath. It sounded like his throat was closing up or something.

Fraiser jumped into action right away, calling for help and grabbing some nearby equipment. She stuck something down his throat before Warner even reached Daniel's bedside. "There's no inflammation in his throat," she said as she drew it out again. "He needs oxygen."

Jack stood back out of the way as the two doctors worked on Daniel. They gave him a shot of something and put an oxygen mask on his face, but he was still making that awful sound with each breath. It sounded almost like...

Moaning.

Jack's stomach turned over as he remembered the description Daniel had given Mackenzie of the aliens. He said they moaned, but maybe what he'd actually heard was that wheezy, gaspy sound. God... maybe he really was turning into one of them.

He craned his neck to get a glimpse of his friend over Dr. Warner's head just as Daniel turned his face towards him. He took an involuntary step backwards when Daniel caught his gaze dead on.

Daniel's eyes were turning red.

To be continued...


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

It was almost instinctual for Janet to hold Daniel's hand and stroke his hair whenever he was sick, but this time she was afraid to touch him. His skin was beginning to dry up and flake, and the last time she'd run her fingers through his hair, she'd pulled a clump of it away in her hand.

At least he was sleeping now. It was harder to handle when he was awake, and not just because he was in pain. She couldn't handle looking into his eyes - blood red and full of such intense fear that it made her want to run for the door.

Sleep didn't stop his breathing problems, however. The oxygen mask he was wearing didn't seem to be making a difference, but at least it made her feel as though they were trying to help him. There was really nothing else they could do.

Of course, that didn't stop them from trying. Sam was still hard at work trying to find something helpful from the device they'd taken from Daniel's arm, the entire linguistics department were poring over the inscription on the device from the planet, the majority of the medical personnel on the base and even a few at the academy hospital were working on solving the puzzle of what was happening to him... somebody was bound to make a breakthrough sooner or later.

They just had to keep Daniel alive in the meantime.

As she sat there watching and waiting, she thought back to the day that had changed their lives forever. She wished now that she'd given in to him that morning and lengthened their honeymoon by just one more day. Then maybe SG-1 would have gone to that planet without him, and none of this would have happened.

Then again, it was more likely that they would have waited for him, and the same thing would have happened no matter when they went on the mission. "Get a grip, Janet," she mumbled to herself. It was pointless to dwell on what if's. It was only serving to make her feel worse.

She sighed heavily and settled back in her chair to close her eyes for a minute or two, but Daniel chose that moment to start thrashing his head back and forth on his pillow. He seemed to be having yet another nightmare.

Janet got to her feet right away. While it didn't seem that he was in any shape to hurt anybody, Janet figured she was better safe than sorry, so she rushed to the door and called for Colonel O'Neill.

He soon ran into the room, with Dr. Warner close behind. "What happened?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

"I think he's having another nightmare," Janet whispered.

Sure enough, Daniel was still tossing his head from side to side and mumbling incoherently into his mask. His gasping had turned into groaning, and his hands clutched and scratched at his sheets like he was dreaming of digging or clawing at something.

Janet folded her hands together and raised them to her mouth so she wouldn't be tempted to touch him or cry out. She'd learned from experience to leave him alone while he dreamed. Unless he stopped breathing, that is.

Thankfully, this time it didn't go that far. Daniel soon opened his red eyes and his gaze darted frantically around the room.

"Daniel?" she said, finally feeling it was okay to put her hand on his arm. "Calm down, sweetheart. You're safe."

He looked up at her and weakly raised one of his hands from the bed. Janet took it and gave it a sympathetic squeeze, but Daniel shook his head and said something she couldn't understand.

"What's wrong, Daniel?" she asked. "I can't understand what you're saying."

Daniel pulled his hand away from hers and clumsily lifted it towards his face. He seemed very weak, as it kept falling back down and slapping against his chest, but he finally managed to grab onto his oxygen mask and start tugging at it.

"No, Daniel," Janet said, pulling his hand back down again. "You need that."

Daniel shook his head again and groaned.

"I think he wants to say something, Doc," Colonel O'Neill said.

"But..."

"I'm sure he'll be alright, Janet," Dr. Warner said gently. He leaned over and pulled the mask from Daniel's face.

Janet wanted to protest, but there really didn't seem much point. Daniel's breathing sounded no worse or better either way. Besides, Daniel was now demanding her undivided attention.

"I... remember," he said between breaths. "I remember... escape."

"You remember how you escaped?" Janet said. "How?"

He closed his eyes for a second as he tried to catch his breath. When he realized that wasn't going to happen, he continued anyway. "One of them... it talked to me. The others... didn't understand me. One did. It... spoke English."

Janet's jaw dropped in surprise, and when she glanced over at Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Warner, she saw that theirs had, too.

"It... studied me," Daniel continued. "Learned to speak... from me." He paused for a moment or two to breathe again before carrying on. "Told me... the thing in my head... it kept me from thinking... kept me from moving. Said it could be... controlled. Turned down... long enough for me to... get out."

"This alien helped you escape?" Janet said.

Daniel nodded. "Taught me... 'cape'... means out. Injected me with... something that... turned it down so I could... think and... talk and... move."

"Couldn't it have just turned it off?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

Daniel shook his head and laughed. "They didn't... know how," he said, his voice becoming weaker and his breathing louder and more strained. "Guess they couldn't... cause I would end up... like this." His head lolled to the side then, as talking seemed to have drained him of all his energy. "Chak. Da. Minal kara," he whispered.

"What did he just say?" Colonel O'Neill asked, glancing back and forth between Janet and Dr. Warner.

"I think that's some of the aliens' language," Janet said. "Daniel?" She touched his shoulder, but he didn't react. He just stared off into space, completely out of it.

"So..." Colonel O'Neill said with a sigh as Warner replaced Daniel's mask. "What the hell was that all about?"

"I think he's remembering more of what happened to him," Janet said absently. Her mind was far removed from the conversation, though, mulling over what Daniel had just told them.

If he'd spent his precious energy telling them about this, he must have felt it was important. But what bearing did it have on what was happening to him now? The fact that one of these aliens had taken pity on him was surprising, but not exactly helpful, and they already knew that turning off the device in his brain had been a fatal mistake.

She sighed. It didn't mean anything at all. Daniel was slowly losing his battle with whatever was happening to him, and vivid flashbacks and dreams were just part of the process.

"How's he doing?" she heard Sam's voice say.

Janet finally tore her gaze away from Daniel then, wondering when Sam had come in and Dr. Warner had left. "He's..."

"He's hanging in there," Colonel O'Neill spoke up for her. "Found anything yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Sir," Sam said regretfully. "I checked in on the linguistics team, and they're making some headway on their translation, but it's slow going. So far all the inscription seems to be is a warning."

"I told you," he said. "It's a 'don't walk on the grass' sign."

Sam forced a smile. "Actually, Sir, I think it's far more likely that it's a warning not to touch the device. Since Daniel's the only one who actually touched it, and was also the only one to be taken, I think it's safe to assume that touching it is a bad idea. At least when it's in place on the planet."

"Kind of like that crystal skull thing."

"More or less, Sir, yes."

Janet was only half listening to their conversation, as the majority of her attention was focused on Daniel again. She touched the back of her hand to his face, and it was so hot that it almost burned her skin. She couldn't believe that he was deteriorating so quickly.

_"Guess they couldn't... cause I would end up... like this."_

Janet pondered that thought for a moment. Daniel had said the aliens could control the device in his brain, but couldn't turn it off. Why? If it had different settings that could temporarily allow him to talk and think clearly, yet they couldn't completely shut it off without having this happen to him, then what else was it doing?

Her brain started working at full speed, covering all the possibilities. Since the device had been deactivated, Daniel had begun showing symptoms that matched the description he'd given of the aliens. She didn't buy the idea that he was turning into one of them, so the only option that was left...

"Sam," Janet said as she was hit with a sudden idea. "What if what's happening to Daniel has nothing to do with genetic tampering? What if these aliens have been inflicted with a debilitating disease, and were using Daniel as a means to a cure?"

"What are you talking about, Janet?" Sam asked.

Janet quickly filled her in on what Daniel had just told them, careful to stress the fact that the aliens could control the device in his brain.

"So, you're saying you think they gave him this disease, but the device in his brain was allowing them to conduct whatever tests they wanted without having him succumb to it completely?" Sam concluded.

"Yes," Janet said eagerly.

"It... would make sense," Sam said, looking thoughtful.

Colonel O'Neill squinted at the two of them as he tried to follow along. "So, what," he said. "You're suggesting they sent Daniel back here to infect us, too?"

"No, Sir," Janet said. "If it is a disease, it's completely genetic, which means it isn't contagious. It sounded like the alien that helped Daniel escape truly took pity on him for what they were putting him through, but was limited in how much he could help. Think about it - if they were hoping that Daniel would cure whatever this illness is, whoever helped him escape would have to suffer some pretty steep consequences."

"Just cut to the chase, Doc," Colonel O'Neill interrupted impatiently. "What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying, Sir, is I don't think these aliens are the sadistic monsters Daniel believed them to be. If they could get the device to hamper his brain processes, they probably felt that he wasn't aware of what was going on. Who knows, maybe it would have that effect if implanted in one of their own species. They probably believed they were doing the right thing all along... that Daniel's suffering was necessary in order to save other lives."

"Spoken like a true scientist," Colonel O'Neill said with a sour look on his face. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It's a nice theory, Doc, but it still doesn't help Daniel. We have no idea what this 'disease' is, let alone how to cure it."

"No, Sir," Sam said. "But these aliens might have some idea."

He stared at her blankly for a moment as if not sure he'd heard her correctly. "Please don't be suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Carter," he said.

"I'm suggesting, Sir, that if these aliens had the ability to prevent this disease from affecting Daniel while the device in his brain was active, and if they have somehow managed to survive while exhibiting the same symptoms that Daniel is experiencing now, they might have some way of treating him. I think we should contact them and offer them whatever help we can give in exchange for helping Daniel."

"And I agree, Sir," Janet said.

Colonel O'Neill gaped at them for a second, and then laughed out loud and rubbed his hands through his hair. "Do you have any idea what you're saying here? For one thing, we don't know who these aliens are, let alone the address of their planet. Secondly, we don't even know if you're right about the whole disease thing. They might be more inclined to invade Earth, take all of us into this torture chamber of theirs, and start poking us full of holes."

"I'm sure that wouldn't happen, Sir," Sam said. "They seem to only be able to take those who touch the device we found, and they were careful to cover it with warnings."

"You _think_," he said. "And in case you've forgotten, Daniel came back covered in blood. Do you honestly think they'd care to help him if he'd killed some of them trying to escape?"

"If they don't help him willingly, I'm sure we can persuade them somehow," Janet said.

That comment earned her stunned looks from both Colonel O'Neill and Sam.

Janet sighed. "Isn't it at least an idea worth pursuing, Sir?" she said, trying to keep her rising temper in check. "We don't have any other options. Either we look to these aliens to see if they can reverse what they've done, or we stand back and watch Daniel die."

Her voice broke on the last word, and she could see that it went straight to O'Neill's heart. He shook his head and looked down at Daniel for a long moment. Janet held her breath as he seemed to think the whole thing through.

"Doc," he finally said, his voice low and heavy with emotion, "I hope to God you're right about this." He gave the two of them a firm look, and then marched out of the room.

Janet took a deep breath and nodded to Sam when she caught her eye. She knew without being told that Colonel O'Neill had gone to discuss the matter with General Hammond. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or scared to death.

Either way, at least she hadn't just sat on her hands and done nothing. She could feel in her gut that this was the right thing to do. She may have come up with the idea that they were searching for a cure because she's a doctor, but it really did make everything make sense.

She just hoped she was right.

To be continued...


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Sam walked slowly up the ramp a few feet behind Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, who were supporting a very weak and weary Daniel between them. They'd debated whether or not to take him on a stretcher, but as they believed the only way to get the device to transport them where they needed to go was to touch it, they figured it was safest for everyone to group together as closely as possible so no one would be left behind.

Beside Sam walked Janet, her pack crammed so full of medical supplies that it made her seem even smaller in comparison. She hadn't said much since they'd been given permission to embark on this mission, but the lines of worry on her face said it all.

Sam let everyone else pass through the Stargate first, and a few seconds later joined them on the other side. The FRED they had sent through was sitting there waiting for them, so Sam got straight to work.

"Teal'c, could you give me a hand here?" she asked as he and Colonel O'Neill lowered Daniel onto the ground.

He nodded and joined her at the FRED as she took the cover off the device. They each grabbed opposite sides of it and hefted it off the FRED and over to the spot where they'd found it.

Colonel O'Neill had left Daniel in Janet's charge and was clearing stray rocks and clumps of mud from the hole, but he hopped out of the way as Sam and Teal'c approached. It took them a little bit of coaxing to get the device to fit into its former resting place, but soon it was back where it belonged.

Then the race was on. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c quickly brought Daniel closer to the device, and all five of them sat down in a circle and placed their hands on its surface. They all seemed to hold their breath as they waited for something to happen.

And waited. Colonel O'Neill scowled when a minute passed and nothing happened. "Carter?"

"It didn't take Daniel at first, either, Sir," she said. "The device itself probably scans anything that touches it and sends the information to the ship. I think we just need to wait a few minutes." She removed her hands from the device and sat back on her heels.

"I'd feel better if we all linked hands or something," Janet said nervously. She grabbed one of Sam's hands and then reached out for Colonel O'Neill's.

He grudgingly took her hand, his other arm wrapped around Daniel's waist to keep him from flopping backwards in his sedated state. "I feel like we're either holding a séance or we're about to sing Kumbaya," he said as Teal'c took one of Daniel's limp hands in his.

Sam smiled and took Teal'c's other hand. Trust Colonel O'Neill to find a way to lighten the mood even at a time like this.

Teal'c cocked his head to one side. "What is..."

"Ask me later, Teal'c," Colonel O'Neill cut in before he could voice his question. He shifted position a little and winced when Daniel's head flopped against his shoulder. "You know, now would be a really good time for..."

Sam blinked as a light suddenly flashed from the device in front of her. The next second, everything went black.

"O...kay," Colonel O'Neill said from somewhere close by. "That was fast."

She heard someone moving, and suddenly there was a bright shaft of light shining in her face. "Ow!" she cried, letting go of Teal'c and Janet's hands to cover her eyes.

"Sorry, Carter," Colonel O'Neill said. "Everybody okay?"

Sam opened her eyes and took a quick head count. Colonel O'Neill, Janet, Teal'c, and Daniel. All present and accounted for. Everyone except Daniel nodded and drew out their own flashlights from their vests. Daniel just blinked heavily and seemed to be trying to make sense of what was going on around him.

Janet moved over to Daniel and laid him down with his head in her lap while Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Sam stood up to check things out. They were in a room just like the one Daniel had described to Mackenzie a few days earlier, and sure enough, they could hear the hum of the engines.

They were really doing this. It was really working.

"Think this is the door?" Colonel O'Neill asked, pointing to a section of one of the walls that had what looked like a control pad next to it.

"It appears to be, Sir," Sam said.

"Alright, nobody touch anything," Colonel O'Neill said, clutching his P-90 and indicating for Sam and Teal'c to ready their weapons, too. "The last thing we want is for them to walk in here before we get where we're going and find we're armed. You two stand on the left of the door, I'll take the right."

Sam moved to obey, but just then Daniel seemed to clue in to where he was.

"No!" he cried. "No! No! Not again!"

Sam looked anxiously at Colonel O'Neill, and at his nod she rushed over to Daniel's side. Janet was trying to comfort him, but he was fighting against her, his laboured breathing sounding even worse than ever. "Daniel, it's alright," Sam said. "We told you about this, remember? We've got to find a way to help you, or you'll die. Remember?"

Daniel stifled a sob and turned to press his face into Janet's lap.

The two women exchanged worried glances. "I think he'll be okay," Janet whispered as she stroked his back. "Help me administer another sedative?"

Sam nodded and crawled around Daniel to get the syringe from Janet's pack.

Once Janet had injected Daniel with the sedative, he started to relax a bit and head back into his own little world again. Sam just hoped he'd stay there until all of this was over.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack's patience was quickly wearing thin.

It had been over ten minutes since they'd been transported to this ship or whatever the hell it was, and they hadn't heard a peep from whoever was on the other side of that door. The suspense was killing him.

Daniel seemed to have lost consciousness, but the sound he made with every breath hadn't improved. In fact, Jack could have sworn it was getting worse. He was starting to fear that Daniel wouldn't even make it as far as the planet.

He nodded at Fraiser when she looked up and caught his gaze. "He doing okay?" he asked.

Fraiser gave her head an almost unnoticeable shake and looked back down at Daniel. His head was still in her lap, but Jack couldn't help but notice that Fraiser wasn't touching him much. He wasn't sure whether that was because of the shape Daniel's hair and skin were in or because his fever was so high. Either way, it wasn't a good sign.

"Come on, you bastards," Jack muttered to the invisible door. "Come and get us."

As if on cue, the noise of the engines changed pitch, and he could feel the ship slowing down. It shuddered once as it seemed to hit land, and then everything went quiet.

"Okay, people, this is it," Jack said, tightening his grip on his P-90. "Whatever comes through that door gets nowhere near Daniel, understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Carter said as she took her position across from him.

Teal'c didn't say anything, but activated his zat and looked ready for battle.

They stood there waiting for about half a minute before they heard a short beep, and the wall started to move. A second later, Jack came face to face with the ugliest son of a bitch he'd ever seen.

It was more or less humanoid, and the description Jack had read in Mackenzie's report was pretty accurate, but God... no wonder Daniel had been too freaked out to talk about them. One thing that he hadn't described was its mouth. Its lips were white, but its teeth and gums were so red they were almost black. He had to admit that flesh-eating zombies would have been his first guess, too.

"Hold it!" Jack yelled as it held out some kind of weapon. Carter and Teal'c stepped forward, and the three of them aiming their own weapons at the creature seemed to have it shaking in its shoes.

"Chak!" it cried, dropping its weapon and raising its hands. "Chak!"

"Yeah, chak yourself," Jack muttered as he kicked its weapon over to Carter. He motioned with his gun for the alien to enter the room, and no sooner had it stepped inside than two more of them lumbered down the hallway towards them.

Jack fired a warning shot at the floor by their feet, which only served to piss them off. One of them fired its energy weapon at him, and Jack dodged the blast just in time.

Teal'c had a better angle, so he immediately fired his zat, and one of the aliens went down. The third fired a shot just as Teal'c zatted him, too. Just like that, it was over. Jack was almost disappointed that he hadn't had the chance to gun them down himself.

He turned his attentions back onto the first guy then as Teal'c kept an eye on the door. Carter was tying its hands behind its back, grimacing as she did so. Jack didn't blame her. He wouldn't want to touch the thing with a ten-foot pole, and the noise it was making with every breath was even worse than the racket coming from Daniel. "Remember him?" Jack asked the creature, pointing at Daniel with one hand while keeping his gun trained on it with the other.

It looked confused for a second until its red eyes settled on Fraiser and Daniel. "Minal kara," it growled, moving as if to lunge towards him.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Jack said as he cut it off with a hand to its chest. "The only move you're allowed to make right now is taking us to your leader."

"Chak," it said defiantly. The way he said it, Jack figured it must be a pretty dirty word.

"Yeah, backatcha," he said. He got right into its face and said slowly and clearly, "Leader. Take us to him. Now."

"Uh... Sir?"

Jack sent his glare in Carter's direction. "Carter?"

"I... don't think he understands us, Sir."

"Don't be silly, Carter. Every alien understands 'take me to your leader.' If he doesn't, he must be just as stupid as he is ugly."

"Chak!"

"See?" Jack said in triumph. "He understood that just fine." He shoved the alien in the direction of the door and pressed his gun against its back. "Move," he demanded. "Teal'c, help Fraiser with Daniel."

Jack got the feeling as the bunch of them left their little cell and followed the alien through the halls of the ship that the rest of this mission wasn't going to be quite so easy.

To be continued...


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

He could feel them again. They were everywhere. So close it made him want to scream...

_"No! Please!"_

"Chak. Da. Minal kara."

"Please, I don't understand what you're saying. What... what are you doing?"

Pain seared through his entire body, like someone had fired a bullet into the top of his head and it had journeyed right down to his toes. He screamed like he'd never screamed before.

Moments later, the fog settled over his mind for the first time. He almost welcomed it.

The alarm was ringing. Who was escaping this time? He knew it wasn't him. He'd just been brought back. He would never get away. Not again...

_"Minal kara!"_

"I wish you'd just tell me what you want," he groaned. "I'm not one of your animals. I would understand you if you'd just try to communicate with me."

It wasn't interested in communication. It threw him back on the metal slab he'd been given for a bed and held him there while another one started poking around at his most sensitive area.

He finally snapped. He'd had enough. If they wanted to treat him like an animal, he'd start behaving like one.

With a loud scream he lashed out, kicking and scratching and biting and doing whatever was necessary to get free. The pain in his head was intense, but he didn't care. He started to run.

He didn't get very far before he was surrounded. The pain in his head escalated until he felt it would explode. Then everything went black.

He heard voices. So many voices. He felt he should know them, but the pain in his head was too much. He heard the moaning, too. Even his own gasps for air couldn't drown them out. Then the screaming... oh God, the screaming...

_Screams from the other rooms were growing louder. He sat up as the fog began to lift, and looked down at his arms. More boils, slowly fading to red._

He heard someone at the door, and knew it was now or never. He readied himself to attack.

He never got the chance. As soon as the door opened, the alarm started to ring. One of the other prisoners had escaped. He was driven to the ground by the sudden pain in his head and the darkness that settled over his eyes.

The screams and howls of pain and fear were deafening until someone closed the door to his cell. Even then, he couldn't block them out no matter how hard he tried.

"Daniel? Daniel, it's okay. Just try to relax. It'll be over soon."

Janet? Was that Janet? No, it couldn't really be Janet. It was just a figment of his imagination...

_He saw her standing in the corner, looking so beautiful he could cry. He focused on her face and tried to block out the pain from his mind. They were hovering over him. Always hovering, like gnats. Stealing little bits of his soul every time they touched him._

But they couldn't take her away from him. She was always there. She never left his side.

They could never touch her.

"No! Colonel, no!"

"You said it yourself, Doc. If they won't help Daniel willingly, we'll just have to persuade them."

"Sir!"

Daniel's eyes flew open at the sudden bang. Janet was covering his face with her body, so he couldn't see what was happening. He could hear screaming, yelling, moaning, running...

_He ran and ran, keeping his eyes on the Stargate the entire way. He could feel the drug wearing off, and he knew it was only a matter of seconds before the overwhelming pain and blindness took hold._

"Chak! Pinna da."

He knew that voice. It wasn't cold and detached like the others. It was the only voice that had spoken to him like he was capable of understanding it...

_"You... go."_

"Wh... you speak English? I don't understand."

"You," the alien said, gesturing towards him. "Go." It motioned towards the door. "Me... help... go."

He squinted in the bright light as Janet moved away from him. Then he saw it. The one who had helped him escape.

"Cape," he whispered.

The alien glanced over its shoulder and then back at him. It nodded. "Sleep," it said into his ear. "Me... help."

He felt a needle pierce his skin, but this one didn't bring him pain. It made him feel calm... sleepy.

The last thing he saw as his eyes closed again was Janet's pale face, and the blood on the wall behind her.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet had never felt so scared in her entire life.

She finally had some small understanding of the nightmare Daniel must have lived while he was here. From the second they'd disembarked from the ship, they had been surrounded by aliens that were gruesome and disgusting at best, and this place... she shuddered as yet another animal scream echoed through the hallways.

"So much for these guys not being sadistic monsters, eh, Doc?" Colonel O'Neill said under his breath.

He was standing right next to her, but his voice was so low that she barely heard him. She chose to pretend she hadn't. She really didn't want to talk to him right now. Not when the image of him firing a shot a matter of inches from Daniel's head to kill one of the aliens was still fresh in her mind. She knew he'd felt there was no other choice - the aliens had swarmed them as soon as they'd arrived, and one of them had seemed intent on punishing Daniel for his escape - but it was a risk she felt he shouldn't have taken.

Still, even she couldn't argue with the end result. The aliens had screamed and panicked for a minute, but soon they had them under control. Then one of them had stepped forward and meekly approached Daniel in what they hoped was an attempt to help him.

With Teal'c and Sam holding their weapons on close to a dozen of its friends who now lay prostrate on the floor, she didn't see how it would dare to do anything else.

Janet took a deep breath and tried to ignore the awful stench of the dead and dying all around her. More than ever, she was starting to appreciate the sterile smell of hospitals on Earth. This was just too much.

Not to mention the sound of a dozen aliens wheezing and moaning in stereo was driving her insane. At least that obnoxious alarm had been turned off. She'd realized as soon as she'd heard it why Daniel had been so afraid of the off-world activation alarm back on the base. They sounded more or less the same, only it seemed ten times more shrill in this place.

She winced and covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the alien bring out some sort of tool to use on Daniel. She couldn't believe she was actually allowing that disgusting creature to operate on her husband. Especially after all he'd been through at the hands of these people already.

_"I just... keep getting this feeling that this is a dream, and any second now I'll wake up back there again."_

"That won't happen, Daniel. I promise."

She couldn't believe she'd been so quick to break that promise. Now here Daniel was, at the mercy of a creature that might not even have understood what they told it to do. Would Daniel understand why they'd had to bring him back to this place, or would he hate her for the rest of his life?

Would he even make it home alive?

Janet impulsively stepped forward when she saw droplets of blood appearing on Daniel's scalp where the alien was applying the strange device. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

The alien glanced over at her for a second, but then turned its attention back onto Daniel.

Janet mentally kicked herself for being so stupid. Whatever it was doing, it couldn't tell her even if it wanted to.

"Take... out."

Janet was sure she was imagining things. The alien hadn't made any movement except for the work it was doing on Daniel, but she could have sworn she'd heard it whisper those words. She moved a little closer to it. "Did you say something?" she asked in a low voice.

"Take... out," it whispered as it worked. "Put... in. Help."

Her mouth fell open in surprise, and she turned back to Colonel O'Neill to see if he was hearing what she was hearing.

He just shot her a puzzled look. "What's he doing?" he asked.

Janet returned to Colonel O'Neill's side and said quietly, "Colonel, I think this is the alien that helped Daniel escape."

He glanced over at the aliens lying on the floor on the other side of the room. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Well, for one thing, he speaks English," she said.

Colonel O'Neill sucked in a breath of air and nodded. "What did he say?"

"Just 'take out,' 'put in,' and 'help,'" she said. "I think it's taking the dead device out of Daniel's head and putting a new one in."

"Wait a second," Colonel O'Neill said, his eyes darkening with bitterness, "didn't that thing cause him all kinds of pain and make it so he couldn't think?"

Janet shook her head and turned to watch the alien again. "I don't know, Sir," she said. "Maybe there's some way of preventing it from doing that. Presumably, this alien wouldn't have had an opportunity to take this device out of his head and implant him with another one before he escaped. Maybe that's all that needs to be done - implant him with a device that will do the job of keeping this illness at bay with none of the side effects."

"That's a pretty big leap of logic there, Doc." Colonel O'Neill sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Besides, 'keeping the illness at bay' is gonna be too little too late. We need them to reverse the damn thing, and from the looks of them, I'd say they haven't quite figured out how to do that yet."

Janet didn't reply to that. The colonel had put into words exactly what she'd been fearing all along - that Daniel might be like these aliens for the rest of his life. That was an eventuality that she was hoping desperately to avoid.

To be continued...


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Waiting had always been, and would always be, the worst part of his job.

Jack had taken to pacing the length of the lab about five minutes into Daniel's operation, keeping a sharp eye on the ugly s.o.b. playing surgeon the entire time. He still wasn't sure this had been such a good idea. Whether this was the alien that had helped Daniel escape or not, it could be doing anything to him right now and they wouldn't have a clue.

"You almost done here, Zombie Boy?" he asked on his third pass.

Zombie Boy glanced up at him for a second, but didn't speak. When it looked back down at Daniel, it removed the nasty looking device from his head, placed it carefully on a nearby tray, and picked up a needle.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack said, holding a hand up to get the alien's attention. He knew the marks on Daniel's body had come from whatever these guys had injected into him during his stay here, and he didn't care to let them use it on him again. Fraiser had even used one of her own sedatives to sedate him before this guy had gotten his claws on him. He wasn't about to take any chances. "What's that for?"

The alien seemed nervous for a moment and looked over its shoulder at its friends. They were more interested in keeping an eye on Carter and Teal'c, so he turned back to Jack. "Fix. Help," it whispered.

Jack lowered his voice and said, "That stuff's gonna fix him? How?"

The alien shook its head, obviously not understanding his words. "They..." it said, gesturing to the others, "hurt. Me... fix."

"They hurt him, so you're gonna fix him. Is that what you're saying?"

It nodded and let out a stream of alien gobbledy-gook that Jack didn't have a hope in hell of understanding.

"Look, buddy," Jack said as it paused to suck in air, "the only things I know about your language are that 'cape' means 'out,' and 'chak' means something dirty. All I need to know is... can you fix him? Make him stop looking like you, and start looking like... himself again."

The alien seemed to be trying hard to follow what he was saying, but it looked down at the needle in its clawed hands for a moment before it spoke again. "You want... fix. Yes?" it asked, looking straight into Jack's eyes.

Jack nodded.

"Me... fix." It held up the needle and then pointed it at Daniel as if asking for permission to proceed.

Jack nodded again and stepped away. "I really hope you know what you're doing," he mumbled.

He went back over to Fraiser's side as the alien continued its work. She looked like she was going to pass out at any second, though she was still standing there with an attitude as strong and formidable as ever. "You okay, Doc?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," she replied, not taking her eyes off the alien for a second. "I'll be more than glad to go home, but for the moment, I'm doing just fine."

"It said it's trying to fix him," he said. "I'm not sure if..."

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as Fraiser suddenly let out a startled cry and rushed over to Daniel's side. "What are you doing?" she shouted.

Jack followed her and had to grab her by the shoulders to keep her from inflicting bodily harm on Zombie Boy. When he looked down at Daniel's neck, he saw the reason why.

The skin around the brand new puncture mark located frighteningly close to his jugular had started to bubble up, forming a rather disgusting looking boil.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he demanded. He was more than a little tempted to set Fraiser loose on the bastard, but he felt he should let it explain itself first.

The alien looked downright scared, and so it should. It started babbling again, though its strained breaths were getting louder and more erratic. Finally, it hissed, "Help! Fix!"

"Yeah, somehow it doesn't seem to me that causing the guy even more pain is going to help," Jack said.

"No..." It shook its head, raising its hands to each side of its face as it swayed from side to side. "No hurt... fix."

"Wait a minute," Fraiser said. "Are you trying to reverse what you did to him?"

The alien dropped its hands as it looked at her almost excitedly. "Take... back," it said.

"You're changing him back to the way he was before?"

That earned her an emphatic nod.

Fraiser smiled and looked down at Daniel again as if watching for changes already.

"Are you telling me this guy can throw this whole process into reverse?" Jack asked, confused.

"I sure hope so, Sir," Fraiser said.

"Then why the hell didn't he do that in the first place?"

Fraiser shrugged and turned her attention back to the alien, who was preparing to inject a second needle in Daniel's right arm. "I guess he wouldn't have had the opportunity," she said. She looked over at the other aliens and her expression turned dark. "They don't seem very willing to let their subjects go once they've served their purpose."

"Or maybe he didn't want to do it until he found there was a gun pointed at his head," Jack said dubiously. He wasn't quite ready to trust Zombie Boy just yet.

He started pacing again, this time feeling even more restless and impatient than before. He knew that their time was running out - any second now, an alien task force could burst into the building, and the four of them probably wouldn't be able to fend them off. If Daniel wasn't fit to leave soon...

Jack stopped mid-thought and strained his ear to hear over the noise the aliens were making. After a second or two, his suspicions were confirmed.

Daniel had stopped breathing.

He charged over to Daniel's side and thumped Zombie Boy on the shoulder. "What the hell have you done to him?" he demanded.

The alien looked scared and confused. "Fix!" it whispered.

Jack was about to argue the fact when he realized that Fraiser was standing next to him with a smile on her face. He looked down at Daniel then, and saw that he was, in fact, breathing normally.

Breathing. No wheezing, no gasping for air... just breathing.

"I think his condition is improving, Sir," Fraiser said.

"No kidding." Jack laid his hand on Daniel's forehead. Even his fever seemed to be coming down. Somehow he felt that this was happening just a little too easily. "So, now what?" he asked the alien. "He's all fixed?"

The alien nodded. "Take," it said. "Go."

He sized it up for a moment, not sure whether he could actually trust what it was telling him. "What about the thing in his head?" he asked, pointing to Daniel's head as he spoke. "It made him hurt last time. He couldn't think. Did you fix that?"

"Fix," was all it said.

Jack sighed in frustration and brushed a hand over his face. If this alien hadn't done what it said it had done...

"Sir," Carter suddenly called from the other side of the room. She motioned to the window she was standing beside. "We've got company, Sir."

Jack hurried over to her and looked outside. Sure enough, there was some kind of vehicle approaching their position, maybe half a click away. "We've gotta move," he said. "Dammit." He turned back to Zombie Boy and asked, "How do we get out of here?"

It looked confused, glancing from Jack to Fraiser to Carter to Teal'c, and finally back to Jack again. "Cape?" it said.

One of the aliens on the floor suddenly got up the gumption to raise its head and snarl at them some more. Jack couldn't understand what it was saying, but it sure didn't sound like directions.

Zombie Boy looked intimidated by whatever Mouthy was saying, and hung his head as if in shame.

"Hey!" Jack said as he walked over to Zombie Boy again. "Don't listen to what he's got to say. Can you get us out of here or not?" When the alien hesitated, he raised his gun and pointed it at his face. "Need I remind you that I can just as easily kill you?" he said.

"Colonel..." Fraiser said. She sounded scared. She knew he'd do it if given an excuse.

The alien seemed to get the point. It motioned to the wall on Jack's right, where there hung some kind of stretcher.

He nodded his thanks to it. "Teal'c, help me with this thing, would you?" he said as he hurried over to bring it down.

It was time they were on their way home.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The group moved as quickly as they could towards the Stargate. Sam and Teal'c were carrying Daniel on the stretcher their alien friend had provided them with, while Colonel O'Neill hauled the alien along with them as a hostage. Janet had her gun in her hand and was jogging along at Daniel's side. They were hoping to reach the gate before the truckload of alien reinforcements arrived, but it didn't look like they were going to make it.

"Maybe we should take Zombie Boy back with us," Colonel O'Neill said as they ran. "That way, if he did anything to Daniel and we find out about it once we're back on Earth, we can get him to fix it."

"Fix!" the alien cried fearfully. "Me... fix!"

"Shut up," Colonel O'Neill said, yanking on the alien's arm without slowing down.

"Jack."

The sound of Daniel's voice startled everyone enough to make them pause for a second from their running. "Daniel?" Janet said, trying to get a good look at his face as they started again at a slightly slower pace. "Are you alright?"

"I... think so," Daniel said, his words a little slurred from the sedative he'd been given.

Janet was about to speak to him again when she heard an alarm sound and heavy footsteps coming towards them. "Colonel..." she said.

"I know, Doc," Colonel O'Neill said, urging them all to move faster. "I'm pretty sure they're out of firing range. Let's just get to the gate."

A few seconds more, and the DHD was just feet away. Janet summoned up every ounce of energy she had to run ahead and start dialling.

When the others came to a halt beside her, she heard the alien say, "Chak! Them... chak!"

"You want me to tell them to chak?" Colonel O'Neill asked. "Okay, if you say so." He turned to face the oncoming mob, held the alien in front of him with his gun to its head, and yelled, "Chak!"

It seemed to have the desired effect. The alien mob stopped dead in their tracks, and while their weapons were raised ready to fire, from what Janet had seen of those weapons earlier, they still looked to be out of firing range.

Colonel O'Neill backed up towards the gate as it roared to life. "Carter, Teal'c, you guys first," he said.

"Wait," Daniel said, struggling to sit up.

Janet hurried back to his side once she'd sent her IDC through to Earth. "Daniel, it's okay," she said. "You're going home."

"Syun da," he said, reaching his arm out for the alien that had helped him.

The alien's expression softened a little, and it nodded to him. "Minal kara."

"Daniel," Daniel said. "And thank you."

It gave him what Janet supposed could be classed as a smile. "Go," it said.

Daniel relaxed back into the stretcher and allowed Sam and Teal'c to carry him through the gate. Janet followed them a second later, and looked back for the colonel.

A moment or two passed before he jumped through the gate and signalled for it to be shut down.

Janet had never felt so relieved to see a wormhole disengage. She finally felt free to concentrate on Daniel again.

Sam and Teal'c had lowered his stretcher onto the ramp as they caught their breath, so Janet squatted down beside him. "How are you feeling?" she asked, touching the back of her hand to his forehead. He still felt a little warm, but nowhere near as feverish as he had been a few minutes earlier.

"Better," he said. "What happened to Syun?"

"Syun?"

"The alien who helped me," he said. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Colonel O'Neill said. "I don't think they knew he was helping us willingly. How's your head?"

Daniel's forehead creased up as he seemed to do a quick internal inventory. "It's okay," he said. "What happened?"

"They implanted another device in your brain," Janet said.

Daniel looked panicked for a second, but then it turned into confusion. "They did?" he said. "I... I can't feel it." He raised a hand to feel around the top of his head and winced when he touched the spot where the alien had done his work. "That's... weird," he said, laying his arm back down and letting his head loll to the side.

"Let's get you to the infirmary and check things out," Janet said as she saw Daniel's eyelids begin to droop.

She stood up and stepped out of the way as a medical team arrived and picked up Daniel's stretcher. She'd just started to follow them when Colonel O'Neill touched her arm to hold her back.

"Zombie Boy slipped this into my hand just before I came through the gate," he said, handing her a small, thin, square-shaped device that fit in the palm of her hand. "All he said was, 'Daniel.' I'm guessing he wanted me to give it to him."

Janet turned it over in her hands, but there was no clue on its surface as to what it was beyond three little buttons on one side. "Thank you, Sir," she said. "I'll pass it on to Sam, see if she can figure out what it is first."

She quickly excused herself and jogged off to catch up with Daniel's entourage. She couldn't help thinking as they made their way to the infirmary that more questions had come out of this experience than answers.

To be continued...


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Daniel held his hand out before him and studied it closely. He still half expected his fingers to sprout claws, but they looked pretty normal. Even his skin was almost back to its usual healthy pink, and the hair on his head was growing back in the places where it had fallen out.

He pushed up his sleeve and ran his finger over the marks on his arm. They had faded from red to a dull pink, but he figured no matter how pale they got, they were there to stay. Still, if that was the only physical reminder of his ordeal, he could live with it. At least his eyes weren't red anymore.

Daniel jumped slightly when he suddenly felt hands on his shoulders, and turned his head to see Janet standing behind him. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't even heard her enter his office. "Hey," he said. "You startled me."

"Sorry," she said, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "I thought you'd heard me. What were you thinking about?"

Daniel felt a wave of guilt wash over him and held up the device he had in his left hand.

Janet sighed and turned to lean against his desk so she was facing him. "You're looking at that thing again?" she said. "Haven't you already translated everything that needs to be translated?"

Daniel looked down at the device and started absently pressing the button on the right to skim through the pages of information it contained. They whirred past on the little screen so fast that it just looked like static. "I feel like I'm missing something," he said. "I know what they were doing - looking for a cure for their 'blight.' I've read the full description of what it is and how it started because of the genetic research they were doing going wrong... there were even pages of information on the drugs they used on me, and how they were trying to force my body to transform the same way theirs had. The only thing I don't understand is how they were able to reverse it when in every single recorded case they just allowed the subject to die. Animals, humans, even members of their own species. Not once did they reverse it. Not once did..."

Janet leaned forward and pressed her lips to his before he could continue his rambling. She let the kiss linger until he started to relax, and then slowly pulled back to look him in the eye. "Are you finished?" she asked.

Daniel cleared his throat and licked his lips. "Yeah, I think so," he said.

"Good." Janet took one of his hands in hers and settled back against the desk. "I'm really trying not to question this, Daniel," she said softly. "You're home, you're alive, and you're getting better every day. Isn't that enough?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not for me," he said. "I'm just... I'm afraid this is like before, when we thought I was okay, but then... I wasn't."

"I know I'm just a doctor and not a geneticist," Janet said, "but if it's possible to give someone a drug that makes their body simulate a disease, and if it's possible to implant a device in that person's brain that would neutralize that drug and prevent the disease from taking hold, then surely it's possible to give someone another drug that would work alongside that device to counter the effects of the first drug even once the symptoms have presented."

Daniel looked at her through narrowed eyes. "I... think I lost you at 'I'm just a doctor,'" he said.

Janet gave him a wry smile and thwacked him lightly on the shoulder. "What I'm saying is... don't keep thinking about this. They probably kept this option in reserve just in case they gave it to the wrong person or... something."

"There, you see?" Daniel said, picking up on the uncertainty in her tone. "You can't explain it away, either."

"Well, how do you explain the fact that Syun helped you?" she asked. "Is it written in there that anyone took pity on one of their 'subjects' and helped it escape before you?"

"As far as I can tell, Syun had just started working at this lab, so he probably hadn't realized the inhumane way their research was done," Daniel said, squirming uncomfortably in his seat as memories of that place flashed through his mind.

"So isn't it possible that Syun found a way of reversing the disease in their subjects?" she said. "Maybe he's even trying to convince them to start letting them go. The others seemed pretty upset that he was helping you."

Daniel pondered this for a few moments. He supposed it was possible, but something still didn't feel right. He just couldn't put his finger on what.

"I keep forgetting to ask you, anyway," Janet's voice broke through his thoughts a minute later. "How did you know the alien's name?"

"Um... it's what he said to me when he first gave me the drug that cleared my mind," Daniel said, for once thinking back to that day without feeling a sense of panic growing in the pit of his stomach. "'Syun da'... he pointed at himself when he said it, so..." He shrugged.

"And 'minal kara'?"

Daniel smiled sadly. "That's what they called me," he said. "I translated it into something along the lines of, 'blue eyes.' They'd probably never seen blue eyes before."

Janet smiled and squeezed his hand. "It's good to see that blue again," she said.

"No kidding," Daniel said. "I was afraid they'd be red forever." He let go of her hand then and held his arm out to her. "Come here."

Janet gladly abandoned the desk and sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly.

"Good grief," said a voice from the doorway. "Don't you guys ever chak?"

Daniel and Janet laughed as they ended the kiss and looked over at Jack. Ever since Daniel had told him the word meant nothing more than "stop," Jack had been using it at every opportunity as some kind of private joke that was more annoying than funny. Still, the disgusted look on his face at walking in on their little snuggle was priceless.

Janet stood up and smoothed out her lab coat as she tried to regain her professional air. "Is there something we can do for you, Sir?" she asked.

"I just came to see if Daniel was okay," he said. "But I see you've got him, uh... covered."

"Jack..."

"Okay, okay, I'll leave you two to it," he said as he backed out of the room. "Next time I'll be sure to knock," he added with an exaggerated wink.

Daniel and Janet laughed again once he'd left the room, but Janet soon sobered and laid her hand on Daniel's head. "You are okay, right?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He nestled his face against her stomach and closed his eyes as she stroked his hair. He knew she was right - he was home, and everything was okay. He shouldn't question it. That device would always be in his brain, and he would always be haunted by the memories of that place and what he'd been through, but over the last couple of weeks he'd been slowly rebuilding his life. He couldn't allow that to slip through his fingers by spending his time worrying about the events that had brought him here.

He stiffened as the off-world activation alarm began to sound, but he didn't let go of his wife. Sure enough, after a few deep breaths his initial feeling of panic faded into a slight nervous feeling that he could easily ignore. He looked up at Janet and smiled.

Janet smiled back. "What do you say we go home early tonight?" she said. "If we leave now, we can get there by the time Cassie gets home from school."

Daniel practically jumped out of his chair. "I think that's a great idea," he said. "Just give me a second to finish up in here."

"Okay." Janet reached up to kiss him one more time before turning to go. "I'll meet you on the surface in ten minutes," she called back from the door.

Once she was gone, Daniel started sorting through the stuff on his desk so he left it in some kind of order. The last item he picked up was the device Syun had sent him. As much as he agreed with Janet that he had to stop questioning the fact that he'd been cured, looking at it brought back that niggling feeling of doubt in the back of his mind.

With a heavy sigh, he slipped it into his pocket. Surely there was no harm in bringing it out every once in a while and glancing through it again, just to see if there was anything he'd missed?

A quick glance at his watch took all thoughts of the device out of his mind, however, as he saw that his ten minutes were almost up. He hurried out of the office, locked the door, and headed for the elevator. He was looking forward to spending a carefree evening with his family, and forgetting for a short time, at least, that life was anything short of perfect.

THE END

Author's end notes: Before anybody asks - yes, I plan to write sequels, but no, I won't be writing them just yet. I have things to do, other stories to write, you know how it goes. Barring death or natural disaster, though, I will hopefully get to them sometime within the next few months. I hope you enjoyed!


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